


Going Back For Them

by GigadrainWrites



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Byleth did CF and then AM, Can't tag 'em because this is a three houses fic but they're here, F/F, F/M, Female My Unit | Byleth, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route Spoilers, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route Spoilers, Fuck it let's just throw some fates characters and ships in here too, Minor Shamir Nevrand/Hubert von Vestra, Spoilers in general honestly, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 73,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29343753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GigadrainWrites/pseuds/GigadrainWrites
Summary: After the events of Azure Moon, Byleth goes back in time to save Edelgard.She doesn't expect Dimitri to remember anything, especially not the fact that she proposed.Or: In which Byleth and Dimitri are a time-travelling power couple out to end the Agarthans' shit.(Updates however quickly I write chapters. Once every two weeks, at least.)
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Edelgard von Hresvelg, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Sothis, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth, Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg, Hilda Valentine Goneril/Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth & Sothis, Rhea & Seteth (Fire Emblem)
Comments: 46
Kudos: 141





	1. The Night Before

**Author's Note:**

> So I basically saw this comic (https://twitter.com/i/events/1243649317149130754) and was like "Hmm. This is good. I like the concept. But I can make this not complete torture for Dimitri and have him actually talk to Byleth and have some lovely academy Dimileth and oh my god if I don't write this no one else will. Let's fucking do it."
> 
> Except I forgot that I've never written a fanfic in my fucking life.
> 
> Guess that changes now.

Day 19, Horsebow Moon 1186

"Well, beloved, tomorrow's a big day. We should head to bed early." Dimitri was happy...and more than a little nervous. Though the war and his days of ghosts are behind him, it was still a little hard to believe he was actually here, about to inherit the throne.

Even harder to believe was the fact that the love of his life was standing right before him. As his betrothed, no less.

"Mhm" Byleth mumbled, seeming...almost contemplative?

"...Is something wrong? Nervous about tomorrow?" he asked.

"Not...quite. I'm just...thinking."

"...What about?" he inquired. Byleth thinking could mean any number of things, and this clearly weighed on her mind.

"It's just...If you could go back to the day we met, with all your current knowledge of what was to happen, what would you do differently?"

"Well..." he pondered. To go back to the start would mean many things. He could use the time he spent looking for the truth behind Duscur training. He could perhaps find a way to spare Lonato, or (less importantly) Miklan.

He could spend more time with Edelgard. He could spend more time with _Byleth_. He confessed once, it shouldn't be too hard to do it again.

"Well?" Byleth repeated.

"For starters, I would have Rodrigue look into Cornelia." he began, still thinking about more time with Byleth. "She had been somewhat suspicious even then, so a proper investigation would surely reveal that she had a hand in Duscur."

"Right, right..." Byleth responded, intently listening.

"I would also inform Lady Rhea of Tomas' true identity as Solon, then do the same with Kronya."

"We...goddess, Kronya was so _obvious_." she said, tiredly. "I really should've just gone with my gut instinct and killed her day one."

Well, gut instinct isn't the right thing to call it, but Dimitri wouldn't understand that.

"In hindsight, I suppose she was, yes. But that's the thing about hindsight." he responded earnestly.

"This entire line of questioning is about hindsight, Dima. But go on, what else?"

"I would...try to talk to Edelgard. She...I really feel like if I just talked to her more, then just maybe..." Dimitri trailed off again, morose. She seemed to change, somewhat, after he returned the dagger to her before Enbarr.

"Mhm. ...Anything else?" she prodded.

"Well..." he moved away from the window, towards her, "I would confess my love for you far sooner. I want to spend more time with you, teacher-student taboos be damned."

"Seteth would _murder_ me." she said, grinning.

"I would never let him. I'll never let anyone hurt you, be it in the future or this metaphorical past." he responded, closing the distance with a kiss.

Goddess, he loved her.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Dima." she said, moving to leave the room for her own chambers.

"Right. Sleep well, my beloved." he responded, sighing as the door shut behind her. He should go to bed too. Tomorrow was going to be exhausting, after all.

He moved towards his bed, far too big for even 3 of him, let alone one, got under the covers, went to sleep...

And woke up in a cot in a tent.

"Where..." he started, confused. Wasn't he in the palace in Fhirdiad? Where was this?

Why did he have both of his eyes? And... "Is that..."

It was. 5 feet away from him, in a cot identical to his, lied Claude von Riegan, looking just as he did 6 years ago.

"How...never mind." If this is the day he thought it was, then all three of them would need to be very alert, very soon. "Claude, wake up." he said, shaking him.

"Nyehhh...Dima, why..." Claude mumbled, clearly keen on getting more sleep.

"It's..." he began. Does he have time to come up with a convincing story? Probably not. "We're going to be attacked, soon, and we're likely to be outnumbered. I'm going to go wake Edelgard." That woke him up properly.

"More than a little confused as to why you know that, Your Princeliness, but thanks, I guess." the Riegan heir said. Dimitri knew he was going to be assailed by his questions later...and it was only going to get worse once they met Byleth.

Byleth. Her questioning about going back to the day they met suddenly seems much less metaphorical. Did she do this? She told him about her connection to the goddess, and how it affected her, growing up, but even so, could she truly do this? Turn back time by over 6 years?

Only one way to find out, he supposed.

"Edelgard- oh, you're awake already." he noticed. She, too, looked like she had 6 years prior. Before she started a war that had killed hundreds of thousands and tore an entire continent to pieces.

"Yes, I am." Edelgard responded. "Is there some reason you're in here?"

Edelgard. El. The Flame Emperor. His stepsister, who transformed herself into a monster in a last ditch effort to stop him and his army. Who had been pierced by Areadbhar, killing her. Who had flung that old dagger into his shoulder, narrowly missing his heart.

She would still have it, at this point.

The woman he spent five long years chasing and hating.

He feels none of that hate, looking at her now.

"Aww, hell." Claude swore, apparently seeing the bandits Dimitri knew were coming. "Dima, Princess, we need to _go!_ "

"Right!" Dimitri responded, jolted out of his thoughts. "Remire Village is nearby, if we make it there, we should be able to find help!"

"Once again, not super sure how you know this, but okay, Dima!" Claude yelled, running in a direction Dimitri had indicated.

"Once again," Edelgard repeated, in a questioning tone, "What does he mean by that, Dimitri?"

"Well, I..." Drat, he couldn't just brush this off with Edelgard, could he. "I had a feeling that something like this would happen. A premonition, of sorts. So I woke him up."

"...Huh." Edelgard responded. He couldn't tell if she was convinced by that explanation.

Wait...was she responsible for this attack? Kostas could just be being opportunistic, attacking noble children, but...

Does it even matter, in the long run? Kostas will die by the end of the next moon, at the very latest. Although, Dimitri could just kill Kostas here.

Maybe he should. He'll end up doing it later anyway.

"I see some houses, guys! We're almost there!" Claude called from ahead of them.

Just a little further before he reunites with the love of his life.

"Halt!" a man shouted at them, "Who are you kids?"

"We don't have time to answer that question properly." Dimitri said. An honest answer. "We're being chased by bandits, and require assistance."

The man, a mercenary, they could tell at this distance, sighed. "Wait here while I get the captain."

"Back at Remire again, are we?" Sothis asked. "You said you had this figured out, last time."

"I did not say that." Byleth responded. "I said I was curious about Dimitri."

"Ha, the little prince. Now you know why you felt so strange, that first time around. You're in love with him." Sothis cheered, ignoring the fact that she misremembered what was said last time. "So, you had your prince, and he was alive and quite happily engaged to you. Why are we here again?"

"Because I wanted to save Edelgard." Byleth answered. "And I think I know how to do that, without sacrificing Dimitri."

"Very well then. Go, wake up, and save your students from each other."

"Hey, kiddo, wake up."

Jeralt stood before her, in this house, just like always.

"The prince had some fine suggestions, actually. You simply must report Monica to Rhea, this time." Sothis said. She's right, that would, almost without question, save him.

"There's some noble brats, out there, saying they're being chased by bandits. We need to get out there and handle them before they overrun the village." Jeralt explained. Same old situation, same old bandits. They won't be a challenge this time either.

"Okay." Byleth said, monotone. Pretending to be emotionless like she should be at this point was hard, now. Would it truly be so bad to not bother?

Leaving the house, she saw Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude, just like always.

Except this time, Dimitri has a light of recognition in his eyes.

"Bel-" he starts, before clapping a hand over his mouth, drawing the attention of Edelgard, Claude, and Jeralt.

"Huh." Sothis said. "That's new."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this like...isn't complete garbage. This is gonna be multiple chapters, and the fight scenes are gonna basically not happen because a) you've probably played the video game if you're reading this, you know how they go and b) I just *know* that I'm gonna be complete ass at writing fight scenes, so I'm not gonna fucking bother.
> 
> also how do I do italics pls help


	2. Dimitri and Edelgard's Interesting Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Dimitri and Edelgard have incredibly interesting mornings and there are like 50 whole words that suggest that the bandits didn't just vanish into thin air.
> 
> I did say there wasn't gonna be much in the way of fight scenes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's gonna be three POVs in this story, Dimitri, Byleth, and Edelgard.
> 
> That's kinda all I have to say aside from "holy shit I really wrote 2 chapters that I actually feel super good about in the span of like maybe 5 hours."

What a wretched turn of events.  
  
One night, Dimitri's preparing for his coronation the next day with his lovely fianceé and has a somewhat strange conversation about what he would do if he could turn back time. He goes to bed a happy 23 year old man and wakes up a 17 year old boy staring down what was the beginning of the end of his sanity.  
  
In an attempt to make some, any sort of good out of this situation, he makes two of the three people he needs to gain the trust of incredibly suspicious, and proceeds to almost call the woman who would one day propose to him a name that would only add to the suspicion of the aforementioned two people and his beloved's father.  
  
Truly, this morning could not get any worse.  
  
Oh, wait, yes it could. He doesn't know yet if Byleth remembers all that occured. It wouldn't make much sense if she didn't, but even so, it's possible.  
  
And yet, as he gathers his wits, he sees her gather up a small smile.  
  
"She could just be laughing at you." Lambert sneers.  
  
Oh, how _lovely_. Of course they would come back. They had their vengeance, now he needs to get it again.  
  
Well, at least this time he knows who he's after.  
  
And, more importantly, it isn't Edelgard. Not yet, at least.  
  
"The eccentricities of my friend here aside..." he hears Claude saying, "There are still bandits after us, not to mention our gold."  
  
Right. The bandits. Foolish, no-name bandits. They won't last 5 minutes. Not against his lance.  
  
Regardless of whether or not Byleth remembers, they'll all die. Especially Kostas. Saves everyone the trouble of chasing him down later.  
  
As the four of them get into an old formation, Dimitri tries and fails to shove his darker thoughts away, if only for a little while.  
  
So of course, the tap on his shoulder surprises him.  
  
"Are you okay, Dima?" Byleth whispers.  
  
Oh, how that question changes the world.  
  
"I am now." Dimitri answers, completely honest.  
  
They'll take on the bandits together, and then they can talk about how this is going to work.  
  
...After Claude teases him all the way back to Garreg Mach.  
  
This is still not a good morning. It's still easily one of the worst mornings he's ever had, including the ones in those five long years of madness.  
  
But with Byleth at his side, he can power through it.  
  
"Kostas dies today." he says to her. That's not negotiable. Kostas is an eyesore at best and dangerous at worst.  
  
"Yeah, that's fair." she responds.  
  
Well, if even she doesn't think he's worth sparing...  
  
"Then let's begin."  
  
  
  
After the not-so-normal conversation with Dimitri, Byleth begins dispatching the bandits as easily as ever.  
  
"Truly curious, that he remembers." Sothis wonders aloud.  
  
"I suppose." she responds nonchalantly.  
  
"Are you not curious as to why?" Sothis whines. The goddess of the world, whining.  
  
"I've never been one to look a gift horse like this in the mouth. You know that."  
  
"Yes, I'm quite aware, but even so!" the girl sat upright, almost indignantly, before continuing, "You surely must be a little curious!"  
  
"Are you saying you know why?" she poses, putting her sword through a bandit's chest.  
  
"Stop killing people during our conversations! It's _very_ rude." Sothis shouts.  
  
"Can't help it." She really couldn't. It was far easier to have this conversation _before_ she had to talk to Claude and Edelgard. "Also, you didn't answer my question."  
  
"Hmph. If I knew, I would tell you, of course." Sothis pouts.  
  
"Well, if you don't know, I don't know, and he doesn't know, then I'm just going to call this a weird quirk of fate and leave it at that." There weren't too many more bandits. Kostas would make his move soon.  
  
"Very well then, child." Sothis sighed. "On a different note, I would be prepared to jump in front of the little empress, but it seems your prince charming has that situation covered."  
  
"Quite." Just as she said this, Dimitri's lance found it's way into Kostas' neck.

Edelgard was _deeply_ confused about this new Dimitri situation. First, Dimitri wakes up, comes into her tent, warns her about the bandit attack _she_ called in, and then proceeds to stare at her for what must be fifteen seconds. Then Claude mentions that Dimitri was also weird with _him_ , Dimitri explained by saying that he saw the bandit attack coming by way of _**premonition,**_ of all things, knows _exactly_ where to get help, and then once they do get help, he proceeds to get extremely flustered the second a female mercenary comes out.  
  
The woman's pretty, granted, but that behavior is more in character for that Gautier boy.  
  
And on the subject of Dimitri and the female mercenary, they fight together like they've been doing so for years! But Dimitri _surely_ must have just met her today, right?  
  
Unless he's known her for years. And she's a secret lover of his as well as a battle partner. That would also explain why he knew where to get help--he knew she was here. But no, that just doesn't sound right.  
  
Maybe Claude can help her figure some of this out.  
  
"Claude?" she calls out.  
  
"Yeah, Princess?" Claude responds. He knows she hates that nickname, but that's surely why he uses it so much. The fool.  
  
"I..." she trails off. Asking for help is just so damn hard.  
  
"...Yeah?" he says, after a few seconds. "Is this about Dimitri? You know you can just ask the guy."  
  
"I'm...no longer sure of that. Far too many questions." she admits.  
  
"Yeah, I can see that." he says, sympathetically. "I thought I had His Princeliness figured out, but in the space of about 15 minutes the guy has managed to turn just about everything I knew about him upside-down."  
  
"Exactly!" she exclaims. "And that's without touching on the woman mercenary."  
  
"Hundred gold says she's the next queen."  
  
"If Dimitri weren't acting a complete _fool_ around her, I'd join that wager." she says, not usually a betting woman but there's a first time for everything. "But that's beside the point. Dimitri wasn't like this yesterday."  
  
"He wasn't...oh, they're coming over here." he says. "Oi, Dima, you wanna explain your secret lover over there?"  
  
"Secret--" Dimitri splutters.  
  
"That's not quite the situation at hand here." the woman interrupts, smiling. "Oh, my name is Byleth, by the way."  
  
"So then, _Byleth_ , what exactly is the situation, if not that?" Edelgard interrogates. "Unlike Claude, I don't usually jump to that sort of conclusion, but even I can see that that's the most likely answer."  
  
"Hey now!" Claude shouts, in mock hurt. "I thought we were partners in figuring this out."  
  
"We are. I just come to different conclusions than you, most of the time." Edelgard retorted.  
  
"I will explain everything to you...eventually." Byleth said, placing a finger on Edelgard's nose.  
  
"Woooww...you booped the princess' nose! No one does that." Claude smirked.  
  
"Yes, because Hubert usually kills everyone who dares." Edelgard muttered.  
  
"I'm sure he does." Byleth responded jubilantly. (Teasingly.)  
  
This morning is awful. The bandit attack entirely failed, Dimitri has a secret lover (she refuses to believe anything else until told the real truth), said secret lover is treating her like...like Dorothea does, except she doesn't _know_ this woman, which makes it _awful_ , and she has to deal with this woman for at _least_ as long as it takes to get to the monastery, and she has a million and one questions about Dimitri and none of them have been answered.  
  
But the worst part?  
  
Edelgard still doesn't know why her mind keeps trying to make a connection between Dimitri and the dagger she's carried for the past 5 years.  
  
Truly awful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I do Dorogard? I might just do Dorogard. Might be fun.
> 
> Also in the space of 5 hours ya boy has figured out how to do italics and it's lovely.


	3. Of Lapis Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Byleth tells Dimitri about what came before the Blue Lions, and Edelgard adjusts her plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Byleth POV section in this chapter is really short, which I guess makes up for the Dimitri POV section being really long. It just didn't make sense to change POVs in the middle of the Crimson Flower recap.

Well, _that_ was a conversation.  
  
Seriously, his "secret lover"? Really? Dimitri expected that from Claude, but not from Edelgard, as well. Though, it would admittedly explain a few things.  
  
Speaking of which...  
  
"Byleth, what in the _world_ was that?" he asked.  
  
"Me teasing your stepsister." Byleth answered, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "She flusters in the most adorable way. It's lovely."  
  
"Yes, well..." he started. There was no easy way to ask this question. "Beloved, what is happening? Is this what you meant by going back to the start?"  
  
She became...sullen, almost. "Yes. By using the full extent of Sothis' power, I'm able to go back to this day, with full knowledge of all that I saw. Though, normally, no one else remembers. I'm not sure why you do."  
  
That was a lot to process. Byleth could turn back time. It would explain why her tactics were so great--she knew what her enemies were going to do before even they did. Though, that begs a certain question.  
  
"My love..." he began. "Is this the first time you've done this?"  
  
"No." she answered. "It's the second."  
  
"What happened the first time?" Dimitri hesitantly asked.  
  
"That's...a long story." Byleth responded. "And one you may not like. I ask that you listen to it in full before you pass judgement."  
  
"Of course. I...no matter what you have done, it could never make me hate you, my love."  
  
She closed her eyes, and began. It started much the same way he remembered. A bandit attack, the three of them running to Remire, meeting her and Jeralt. Then, it diverged, she chose the Black Eagles, rather than the Blue Lions.  
  
"I had already thrown myself in front of an axe for Edelgard. I wanted to know what about her inspired me to do that." she explained. She told him of winning battle after battle, with very little being different...until that day in the Holy Tomb.  
  
"When Rhea told me to kill Edelgard, I...couldn't do it." Her expression was sorrowful, now. "I mean, really. A choice between the girl I had already saved once and the woman who I was told from the very beginning not to trust. How could I make any other choice?"  
  
"So you...chose Edelgard. Knowing that she was the Flame Emperor." Somehow, he didn't feel as angry as he expected.  
  
"Yes. And after this, Rhea transformed into a great dragon known as the Immaculate One, which...just about instantly cleared any doubts I had about that choice."  
  
" _Ah._ So when Edelgard said that the archbishop wasn't truly human..." Dimitri said.  
  
"Yeah, she wasn't kidding." she responded, before continuing her tale. "The war began, we invaded the monastery, Rhea transformed, again, and I fell into a ravine and slept for 5 years."  
  
"What became of the Kingdom after that?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, that's the thing, the war was wildly different for my presence on the Empire's side," she answered. "As king, you granted the church and it's knights sanctuary."  
  
"I see..." he responded. If he became king, then surely Cornelia must have not been able to kill his uncle Rufus and frame him. Perhaps the church's presence deterred her from that.  
  
"We took out the Alliance, first." she said, moving on to after she had woken up again. "Claude...called in the Almyran navy to defend Derdriu, somehow. Don't ask me how he pulled that one off."  
  
"The Almyran navy?!" he repeated. He figured Claude wasn't from Fódlan, but to manage a feat like _that_...just who was he?  
  
"After an attempt by the church to retake the monastery..." she continued, the sorrow fully back in her eyes. "We moved onto the Kingdom and Arianrhod. There we felled Felix, Rodrigue, Ingrid, Gwendal, and Cornelia."  
  
"...Oh." Of course they killed his friends. It was war, after all, and his allies would surely be skilled commanders by that point.  
  
"...But...why Cornelia?" he asked, half an attempt to change the subject, "Surely she was allied with the Empire. Why would Edelgard..."

"Oh, that's the thing about this whole situation. Cornelia, along with Solon, Kronya, and Arundel, are part of an ancient organization Hubert and Edelgard called Those Who Slither In The Dark."  
  
"That...makes some sense, I suppose." Dimitri said, trying to keep his mind off the terribly on-the-nose name. "But...those are people the Flame Emperor worked with. Why would she kill them?"  
  
"That...is not my story to tell, not without giving Edelgard the chance to do so first." she replied. "Just know that her tale with them is as dark as yours...and she hates them just as much as you do, if not more."  
  
"Hm." Edelgard hates them, and yet allied with them. Perhaps, with Lord Arundel on their side, Those Who Slither had full control over the Empire...but even then, once Edelgard took her own throne, she could've...  
  
He'll never figure this out on his own. Edelgard must have had her own problems with the church. The only thing to do is wait for her to tell him. "What happened after Arianrhod?"  
  
"After Arianrhod...was Tailtean." Sadness crumpled Byleth's features, and knowing what he does about the Kingdom, he was fairly certain why. "You took your forces, with Dedue, Mercedes, and Sylvain, and led a last stand for the Kingdom."  
  
"...I died that day, didn't I?" he asked.  
  
"Yes. Though Rhea, or rather, Seiros, yes, _that_ Seiros," she said, clearly catching the shock on his face, "Though Seiros led reinforcements, they retreated with her...essentially leaving you all to die."  
  
"I...suspected as much. In such a situation, I would not retreat, not ever." he said.  
  
"After you died, I felt...a strange sorrow in my heart. Worse than when Papa died, even." Byleth seemed to gather herself, before continuing. "Seiros, in a last ditch effort to kill us all, ordered the knights to light Fhirdiad ablaze, and transformed into the Immaculate One once more."  
  
"...That ingrateful witch..." he muttered. He provides her sanctuary, throws his army and his _friends_ at the Empire in order to stop them, and she repays him by burning his birth city to the ground after he sacrifices himself to protect it? Perhaps Edelgard was right, and Rhea truly was a monster.  
  
"Edelgard and I defeated her, but...that sorrow still hadn't gone away. I spoke to Sothis, and she said that if I truly wanted to discover how I felt, we could turn back time to that morning in Remire. So I did, and I chose you and the Lions, and...well, you know how that went." she finished.  
  
Indeed he did.

That was...a hard tale for her to tell.  
  
"I still think you should've told him what Dedue did with the Crest Stones." Sothis supplied.  
  
"And what good would that have done? It made him angry then, it'll make him angry now. It's unnecessary." Byleth snapped back.  
  
"I suppose you're right." Sothis said. "It's a real miracle that the little empress and the other child didn't hear any of that conversation."  
  
It truly was, wasn't it? Byleth looked back towards Claude and Edelgard, but Edelgard was just blankly looking ahead and Claude was talking to her father.  
  
"We're almost at the monastery, beloved. Shall we start the plan?" Dimitri whispered.  
  
Oh, right, the plan. Report Solon, then Kronya once she shows up. Dimitri would have Cornelia investigated.  
  
That still left Thales, though. And she had to explain...well, _everything_ to Rhea and Seteth. And do so without either her or Edelgard getting killed. Getting Seteth to let her and Dimitri be in a relationship would be nice, too.  
  
"Much to do, so little time." Sothis sighed. "Perhaps the little empress could help with Thales?"  
  
Now _that_ was a suggestion. Though, it required gaining Edelgard's trust.  
  
...She really shouldn't have teased Edelgard that much. As fun as it was, it was an awful first impression.  
  
"I think we should try to talk to Edelgard first," Byleth whispered back to Dimitri, "If we can get her on the same page, then Arundel shouldn't be as much of a problem."  
  
"You really shouldn't have teased her so much, beloved." Dimitri stated, no longer whispering.  
  
"I know, I know..." Byleth pouted.  
  
"What's this about teasing me?" Edelgard asked, having heard Dimitri's comment.  
  
"Oh, Dima-dear was just telling me about his friends and classmates here at the academy." Byleth answered. "He said I shouldn't have teased you so, as you're his stepsister and--oh dear."  
  
Edelgard went pale as a sheet, eyes wide in shock.  
  
"You truly are a fool." Sothis scolded.

This. Woman.  
  
First off, "Dima-dear"? Really? How sickeningly sweet. Hubert may not be able to handle her after all, what with his aversion to sugar. And she really never stops teasing. She'll have to keep Byleth away from Dorothea at all times, or she'll never hear the end of it.  
  
And suddenly, all of that becomes irrelevant. Dimitri's stepsister? _Her_? Absurd. She may have been in the Kingdom once, before...everything, but still, the idea that she is somehow related to the Kingdom's crown prince is completely ridiculous.  
  
Though her mother did leave for the Kingdom, back then. And Dimitri did remind her of her mother, at times.  
  
...Perhaps it's not so ridiculous. This requires immediate questioning.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Edelgard demanded.  
  
"This is not how I wanted this to go..." Dimitri said under his breath.  
  
"Sorry, Dima..." Byleth apologized.  
  
"Answer the question." She said in her most authoritative tone.  
  
Dimitri sighed. "Well, Edelgard, the truth is, your birth mother later came to the Kingdom and married my father. It was...something of a state secret, then. And during the Insurrection in the Empire, you came to the Kingdom with Lord Arundel, and stayed for about a year. We met, and spent some time together."  
  
How enlightening! Perhaps now she can ask about the dagger.  
  
"...This dagger I carry...is it a remnant from that time?" Edelgard asked.  
  
"'A remnant from that time,'" Byleth repeated, quietly laughing.  
  
This woman! Goddess, she's insufferable!  
  
"I...suppose you could call it that." Dimitri admitted. "It was a parting gift. Blades are symbolic in Faerghus. You were being dragged all over the place, with no rhyme or reason, so...I wanted you to be able to cut your own path."  
  
Oh. _Oh._ Dimitri was _that_ boy. Hm. Perhaps some counter-teasing is in order.  
  
"I see. I do hope you stayed in practice. I don't believe I have the time to teach you how to dance again, just so Lady Byleth isn't disappointed by her Dima-dear." she said, channeling as much of Dorothea's spirit as she could.  
  
But not enough, it seems. Byleth just smiled wryly, while Dimitri seemed nothing short of elated.  
  
"I have, actually!" Dimitri confirmed. "I do thank you for your time, back then." This boy is so earnest! She'll have to stoop to Claude's level in order to truly bother him.  
  
But is that worth the cost to her dignity?  
  
Probably not.  
  
Perhaps she won't have Hubert kill Byleth. Dimitri clearly cares for her, and if she can rebuild her apparent bond with him, and get the Kingdom on her side, then both the Church of Seiros and Those Who Slither In The Dark will be easily dealt with.  
  
It would be easy to explain to Thales, too. He surely remembers that she knew Dimitri once, she can simply say that Dimitri reminded her of those days in the Kingdom.

At least, that's what she would tell _him._ In reality, Edelgard had some very different ideas in mind for her stepbrother.

Perhaps this morning isn't so awful after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit I am SHMOVIN' on this fic goddamn.


	4. The Best Laid Plans...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Dimitri tells some of the truth about Byleth, Byleth talks to Rhea, and Edelgard talks to Hubert about family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it just me or is each of these chapters longer than the last?
> 
> I mean, I don't suppose it matters, but it still feels that way.

Here he was again, at Garreg Mach. Here for a year of schooling that he already went through and doesn't need.  
  
His work ethic won't change just because of that, of course. He is Crown Prince Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and he must set an example the rest of his classmates can follow.  
  
...Which is why he's going to try to convince Seteth to let him date his professor.  
  
He really ought to leave that to Byleth. She was a much better conversationalist with the Church, mostly because Lady Rhea _loved_ her and would easily change things around to benefit her.  
  
But he loathed to leave her in the lurch in what he knew would likely be an uphill battle for her. Especially when Rhea could be...invasive.  
  
He had thought it odd, last time, that in spite of Rhea's favor of her, Byleth had been disinterested at best and openly disdainful at worst when speaking of the Archbishop. Now he knew why. It's going to be a struggle not to do the same.  
  
As Byleth and Jeralt walked up the stairs, to Rhea's audience chamber, the difficulties of the situation truly set in.  
  
Now, he had to focus on people who _didn't_ travel through time, and would find it very odd that he had mentally matured 6 years in the space of one night.  
  
At least Felix would like the difference. He hoped so, anyways.  
  
Speaking of which, Claude and Edelgard were heading towards him. Time for the questions he knew were coming.  
  
"Yo. Dimitri." Claude said, none of his usual glee in his tone now, "Wanna explain to us what the fuck the last few hours have been?"  
  
"Where would you like me to begin?" Dimitri asked. With these two, it was far better to favor honesty.  
  
"How about Byleth? There's _c_ _learly_ something there." Edelgard accused.  
  
Though telling her the background she seemed to have forgotten went surprisingly well, considering how it started, she was still possessed of a very inquisitive nature when something caught her eye.  
  
"She's...an old friend." Dimitri said. They both rolled their eyes at this. "Though you are correct in assuming that our relationship is more than simply platonic, that is all that matters."  
  
"Right." Claude said. "And I'm supposed to just pretend that the future Queen of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus wasn't someone I met 2 hours ago in a mercenary village."  
  
"Claude, in his defense, there wasn't much else to be done." Edelgard admitted. "We were attacked by bandits, and he knew where to get help. I'm sure that in other circumstances, we would have been introduced to her more...officially."  
  
"Woah, Princess, why are you suddenly on his side now?" Claude asked. "Is this partnership over? I was planning on giving Hubert some couple-stalking tips."  
  
"There are no sides in this particular matter anymore, because it's solved. We thought she was a secret lover. Turns out, that was rather close to the case. It's over and done with." Edelgard said.  
  
"I guess, yeah." Claude conceded. "But that brings me to my next point. His Princeliness himself is being _weird_ , Princess. We're talking about all this romantic stuff− _his_ love life−and he's not even flustered. Not one bit."  
  
"I suppose that would seem to be atypical behavior for me," Dimitri admitted, "but I have an explanation. This relationship has existed for some time. I fully intend to propose to her sometime during this year."  
  
"So...you're saying that you're past the point of being flustered by much, and just happily in love?" Edelgard asked. He nodded in response. "That's...lovely, Mitya. I'm happy for you."  
  
"Thank you, El. Though we've been apart for several years, your approval does matter to me."  
  
" _Ugh_ , sibling bonding. I'm gonna go bother Lorenz. You two have fun." Claude said, heading towards the Cathedral, presumably to look for the Gloucester heir.  
  
"...You are aware that the Gautier boy−Sylvain, I believe?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You are aware that he's going to take your...unflusterability as a personal challenge." Edelgard said.  
  
"I know full well, yes. But I'm prepared for that." Dimitri declared.  
  
"Oh? And what do these preparations entail?" Edelgard prodded, teasingly.

"Their names are Felix, Ingrid, and Dedue." Dimitri said with a grin.  
  
"Quite right." Edelgard said, returning his smile with one of her own.  
  
"...You seemed lost in thought for a moment, Dimitri." Edelgard noticed.  
  
"Ah...just thinking about how to tell my classmates about my relationship with Byleth." Dimitri admitted.  
  
"Well, you'd best figure it out, and soon. Either they find out from you or they find out from Claude." Edelgard pointed out.  
  
Damn. She was right. Hopefully this doesn't jeopardize Byleth's employment as a professor.  
  
Aside from that, though, this was going quite well. Claude was off his case and he and El were growing close again, and no one suspects that he's actually from the future.  
  
Now he had to achieve the same feat with his classmates.  
  
Mercedes, Annette, and Ashe will be relatively easy to convince.  
  
The others will be more difficult. They've known him for significant portions of his life, after all, though the distance he put between himself and Sylvain, Ingrid, and Felix after Duscur is a boon, here.  
  
All he needs to do to distract Sylvain is mention Byleth. Ingrid is...less distractable, though her sheer joy at the news of a queen will render her almost as bad as Sylvain. Felix, on the other hand...who knows how he'll react. It's a toss-up between him just being annoyed by all the noise and Felix studying him and not finding "the boar". Though, he won't make a big deal of that in front of everyone.  
  
Dedue, though...does he even _want_ to lie to him? He knows he'll have to tell him the full truth eventually.  
  
He wants to tell him _now_ , but that might go poorly. He'll have to ask Byleth about that one.  
  
He enters the Blue Lions classroom and, as expected, all of them are there.  
  
"Your Highness. Are you well?" Dedue asks. Of course, that would be his concern.  
  
"I'm fine, Dedue. More importantly, I'm glad all of you are here." Dimitri answered, moving to the front of the room. "I have something of an announcement to make."

"Greetings, Jeralt. The archbishop will see you soon." Seteth said.  
  
Byleth stood in the audience chamber. She explained to Jeralt that she had gone back in time and explained her relationship with Dimitri, and that was enough, for now. He'd have other questions later, but the knowledge he had should be enough that this conversation goes smoothly.  
  
Now then. Claude knew about her relationship with Dimitri, and the Riegan heir is tragically unable to keep his mouth shut when it comes to gossip. So if this was to work at all, she had to explain everything to Rhea.  
  
And that meant telling Rhea about Sothis.  
  
"I'm perfectly fine with it, child." Sothis said, called by her thoughts. "It is the most prudent decision, if you wish to save the little empress."  
  
She knew that. She knew it was the right call, if it went well. The problem was that Rhea's obsession with Sothis was one of the few things that still scared her.  
  
"Think this through, child. I shall stand by with a Pulse, if necessary." Good. She might need that Pulse as a failsafe.  
  
Rhea entered the room.  
  
Now or never.  
  
"Lady Rhea." Byleth began.  
  
"...Yes, child?" Rhea was...a bit surprised, but otherwise still calm. That was good.  
  
"I have seen the way you look at me. You are curious as to what I am, what I'm capable of."  
  
"Kiddo, what're you..." Her father started.  
  
"Or rather, you wish to confirm what you already know."  
  
Her father instantly fell silent.  
  
"Lady Rhea, what is she talking about?" Seteth asked.  
  
Rhea simply closed her eyes. "Go on, child."  
  
Very good. This was going well so far.  
  
"I will save you the trouble of wondering, Rhea. Your experiment was successful." Byleth said, staring intently at the archbishop for any changes in expression. Now, it was one of cautious optimism.  
  
"Lady Rhea! What experiment does this girl speak of?!" Seteth demanded. This was expected. The ideas of what Rhea might've done to her never sat well with him.  
  
" _Seteth, be silent!_ " Rhea shouted, her face momentarily shifting to one of anger, before returning to serene joy. "Do go on, child."  
  
"I have, as you intended, awakened Sothis' consciousness." Seteth and Jeralt's eyes grew wide, though they didn't speak, even as Rhea's joy rose ever higher. "She has lent me her power to turn back time. And...we have returned, to this day, to pass on a message and complete a mission."  
  
Rhea took a moment to collect herself. Good. The hard part was over.  
  
"...Very well, then, child. What is your message?"  
  
"Rhea! You are truly believing this stranger who just walked in this morning?!" Seteth squawked.  
  
"Dear Byleth has been here before, Seteth. I oversaw her birth myself. I know what she speaks of." Rhea told him. A truthful enough statement, by Rhea's standards.  
  
"I...very well, but you _will_ explain this in full later." Seteth responded.  
  
"Of course." She assured him. "Now, child. What was your revelation?"  
  
"Revelation is a strong word. I merely come here to tell you what I have seen, done, and intend to do."  
  
Byleth told them of Those Who Slither, explaining that they were a group that had secretly seized control of the Empire. She told them of the experiments done to the children of Hresvelg, and that under threat of death, Edelgard was working for them.  
  
At this, Rhea grew quietly angry, but continued to listen.  
  
Byleth told them of the Kingdom and Church's war against an Empire controlled and threatened into cooperation by those evil beings. She told them of Dimitri, the prince who stood by her side, even through the madness caused by Duscur.  
  
She told them of how she turned back time to stop the war before it even began by removing key figures of Those Who Slither. She told them that Dimitri alone remembered all of this, and of the bond they do not wish to hide.  
  
When all was said and done, Rhea closed her eyes.  
  
"Dear child," she said.  
  
"Yes?" Byleth answered.  
  
"Do you truly believe that the young Hresvelg will not betray the Church, should you remove those who threaten her?"  
  
"I do, though I will need to gain her trust."

"Then, in accordance with the Goddess Sothis, I hereby grant you a professorship over the Black Eagles house at the Officer's Academy, as well as the rank of Primary Bishop, and all associated authority and permissions of those two offices." Rhea declared.  
  
Primary Bishop. The rank directly below Archbishop. When it came to matters of the Church, she answered to Rhea and Rhea alone.  
  
Her first day at Garreg Mach wasn't even half over yet and she already outranked Seteth.  
  
"Lady Rhea. I will admit that the chances of Lady Byleth lying are _incredibly_ low, at this point. But...really? Primary Bishop? Have some restraint, please." Seteth said, shaking his head.  
  
"I will not," Rhea said, then smiling wryly, "In fact, Lady Byleth and Prince Dimitri are additionally exempt from the rule banning student-teacher relationships at the Officer's Academy."  
  
"Lady Rhea..." Jeralt said, a hand over his mouth that Byleth knew was hiding a smile.  
  
"Lady Byleth, Sir Jeralt...You are dismissed." Rhea said.  
  
That went far better than Byleth ever could've hoped for.  
  
She couldn't wait to tell Dimitri.

She couldn't wait to tell Hubert.  
  
Edelgard was ecstatic. She has _family_ again. Real family, not monsters wearing their faces. Furthermore, said family could almost certainly be a helpful ally against the Church and Those Who Slither In The Dark. With Dimitri's help, she might even be able to remove the Slithers even earlier, and the less time those monsters have in this world, the better.  
  
"Hubert!" She shouted in her excitement, slamming open the door to the tall man's quarters. "I have excellent news!"  
  
"Do come in, then, Lady Edelgard." Hubert said, shutting the door behind his liege. "I must say, it has been years since I last saw you so happy. Did Kostas manage to prove himself useful, against all odds?"  
  
"No, not at all," Edelgard answered honestly, "Kostas is dead now, but we have potential to make a _far_ greater ally than some useless bandit."  
  
 _"Oh?"_ Hubert responded, looking genuinely curious. "Does this have anything to do with the Blade Breaker's recent arrival at the monastery?"  
  
"Perhaps tangentially." Edelgard sat on her vassal's bed. It was far too firm for her liking, though Hubert's preferences were opposite from hers in quite a few ways. "Do you remember the time you chased after me to the Kingdom?"  
  
"I do, yes." She knew Hubert wouldn't say it, but she could tell that he was completely lost. What could that story _possibly_ have to do with their latest prospects? That and similar questions were likely going through his mind.  
  
"Well, as you know, I spent the better part of a year in the Kingdom." Edelgard explained. "And during that time, I made a very good friend, and that friend took the time this morning to remind me of the year we spent together."  
  
"And who, pray tell, was this friend?" Hubert asked, quietly. He likely already figured it out, but Edelgard was feeling _theatric_ (Dorothea's influence, she supposed), and Hubert was indulging her, bless him.  
  
"None other than Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd." Edelgard answered, in a quiet, assured tone, before going back to her normal speaking voice. "Though you had likely figured that out already. There were only so many people there, this morning."  
  
"The Duscur-related problems with Prince Dimitri as an ally aside..." Hubert began, "I'm admittedly completely stumped as to how he could possibly be related to Sir Jeralt's arrival."  
  
Oh. Right. Thales had ordered Cornelia to plant evidence suggesting that the Flame Emperor had a hand in Duscur. That's an issue.  
  
"I...in my excitement, I suppose I had forgotten about Duscur." she admitted.  
  
"That is what I am here for, Lady Edelgard." Hubert assured her.  
  
"Well, I have a plan to deal with the Duscur problem." Edelgard said. "But allow me to finish explaining the more...emotional reasons why Dimitri matters."  
  
"Of course, Lady Edelgard." She could see that Hubert was simply tolerating this, but she would not be deterred.  
  
"Dimitri is my step-brother. Did you know that?" Edelgard asked.  
  
"I...did not." Hubert admitted, the surprise in his eyes genuine. "I suppose Lady Anselma must have married the late King Lambert after leaving the Empire."  
  
"Exactly!" she confirmed. "And you were wondering what Dimitri has to do with Sir Jeralt−well, wonder no longer. For the Blade Breaker's daughter, a skilled mercenary in her own right, by the alias 'Ashen Demon', is Dimitri's lover!"  
  
Hubert shook his head before offering a wry smile "What a preposterous situation. Though, you wouldn't be telling me if it weren't true."  
  
"Now, as for why any of that mattered, I propose a change of plans. You have looked into Dimitri's allies, yes?"  
  
"If it weren't for what I'd found, I would politely ask that you halt this line of questioning."  
  
"And what did you find?" Edelgard asked, hopeful.  
  
"Ingrid Brandl Galatea and Sylvain Jose Gautier, two of Prince Dimitri's strongest allies, both in House and personal strength, as well as his close friends, seem to believe that the Crests they bear have worsened their lives."

"Yes, yes..." Edelgard thought the Galatea girl might feel that way, but the Gautier heir as well? This just gets better and better.  
  
"Additionally, Prince Dimitri's vassal is Duscurian. No real leanings for or against Crests, though if asked, would state a mild dislike for the Church." Hubert paused for a breath, before continuing. "As for the Fraldarius heir, he is somewhat similar to Molinaro, but more loyal to his friends and the Kingdom than he lets on."  
  
"If you could convince Gautier and Galatea to our opinions on Crests, and then secure Prince Dimitri's favor with the sibling angle, Fraldarius, Molinaro, and even the Dominic heiress and Gaspard adoptee would fall in line."  
  
"And what of Dominic's friend?" Edelgard asked.  
  
"The von Martritz woman is...something of a sticking point." Hubert said, with a grimace. "Though she may be of Empire blood, and loyal to her friends, she is _intensely_ loyal to the Church. Though the Death Knight, being her brother, might tip the scales in our favor."  
  
Edelgard was hopeful. This all sounded very good. Now she had to present her idea to Hubert.  
  
"About securing Dimitri's loyalty. Playing up the sibling angle could work, after a while, but I have a better idea." She started.  
  
"As always, I'm open to most anything." Hubert said. Good. She'd need him to be.  
  
"Rather than trying to get close enough to him to where my ties to Those Who Slither won't matter to him..." she paused, gathering her confidence, "I believe it might be better to tell Dimitri about them immediately."  
  
"Lady Edelgard−"  
  
"I want them **_gone_** , Hubert." Edelgard said.  
  
Hubert seemed lost in thought, for a moment.  
  
"...Glenn Fraldarius, Felix's older brother and Galatea's then-betrothed, died that day in Duscur." he began. "I shouldn't need to mention Prince Dimitri and Molinaro's ties. The Dominic heiress' father left the Kingdom in shame after the event. Gaspard, similar to Fraldarius, lost a son in the aftermath, but to the Church, giving us an in towards that problem, as well."  
  
"It would, admittedly, be an easier bid for the Kingdom's loyalty...at the cost of losing _theirs_ forever." Hubert concluded.  
  
"And earning Dimitri's allegiance would get Byleth and Sir Jeralt on our side, as well." Edelgard added.  
  
"Correct."  
  
"A worthwhile play, then." Edelgard said.  
  
"Very well, Lady Edelgard. I'll make the preparations at once." he said, before warping out of the room.  
  
Today was proving to be very interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to take Edelgard in this direction because in the video game she takes literally every possible option that isn't the Agarthans whenever she can. Like, she nearly borked the entire plot just to get Byleth on her side. So when Dimitri and the whole damn Kingdom looks like a good option? Yeah, she's gonna jump on that.
> 
> Also, next chapter, the Beagle gang will meet Byleth. And Dorothea and Byleth might have a teasing war. Haven't decided on that bit, yet.


	5. These Tender Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jeralt rants at Dimitri, Felix and Dedue learn the truth, Byleth meets her BEagles (again), and plans converge in a way Edelgard doesn't expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent like...all fucking day writing this chapter. Really, all I've done for the past two days is write, read y'alls comments, and perform bodily functions. That's about it. But I wouldn't be doing that if I weren't having fun.
> 
> In other words, I'm glad y'all are liking this, because I like writing it.

Once he announced his relationship with Byleth, the Blue Lions reacted as he expected, honestly. Ashe, Annette, and Mercedes were genuinely pleased, if a little confused, Sylvain and Ingrid were _very_ confused, wondering how this escaped their notice, but still happy for him. But Dedue and Felix were furtively whispering in the corner.  
  
"Something about this isn't right. There's _no way_ you could've missed something this big." he heard Felix say.  
  
"I have been with him most every day for the past 4 years, and never saw anything remotely suggesting this relationship." Dedue agreed. "Additionally, his demeanor has...changed, somewhat."  
  
"Yeah. He was practically a completely different person yesterday." Felix said. "We need to ask him about this. He's better than he was, but this is still weird."  
  
Well. Felix didn't hate him. That's nice.  
  
He left the classroom and spoke to Byleth in Jeralt's office. Lady Rhea and Seteth now knew just about everything aside from the fact that she once allied with Edelgard, and the two of them had essentially free reign of the monastery for whatever investigative purposes they required. Byleth was to teach Edelgard and the Black Eagles (you can't win them all, he supposed), and she was now Primary Bishop.  
  
"Dedue and Felix have noticed that I'm...different, beloved." Dimitri told her.  
  
"Go ahead and tell them." she advised. "They know how to keep secrets."  
  
"Do I tell them about Edelgard?" he asked.  
  
"Yes. And speaking of Elly, I need to talk to her very soon."  
  
"...Elly?" he repeated. "Beloved, that's..."  
  
"Adorable, I know. Gotta go, Dima." she said, moving to leave the office and noticing Sir Jeralt. "Oh, hi, Papa. I need to go meet my new students."  
  
"Alright, kid. Be safe, y'hear?" His beloved's father said, ruffling her hair as she left for the stairs to the first floor.  
  
"Well, this is a weird position to be in as a father." Jeralt said, once she was out of sight.  
  
"Pardon?" Dimitri responded, somewhat confused.  
  
"I mean, think about how this is going from my perspective," he started, going into his office and closing the door. "One day, I'm planning a job in the Kingdom. The next, one of my mercs banging on my door, saying three noble brats need help. I wake up my daughter, walk out, and find that one of you is a _time-travelling_ noble brat, and my daughter, who up until today, barely spoke, is madly in love with you."  
  
"Uh..." This was starting to sound strangely like a lecture for Sylvain.  
  
"Turns out, my daughter is _also_ a time-traveller, because she's cracking jokes with a man she's never actually met, and immediately agreeing when he suggests that we go to the place I've been avoiding like the plague for the past 20 years." Jeralt continues. "Once we get there, she confirms just about all of the suspicions that led me to leave the monastery in the first place, and Rhea just accepts that and now my daughter is my boss and you're her time-travelling boyfriend." He finished, opening his flask and drinking from it.  
  
"That's...are you angry at me?" Dimitri asked.  
  
"No, kid, I'm just...complaining about the emotional whiplash the past 6 hours have given me," the old knight-captain answered. "I'd say 'don't hurt her or I'll beat your ass' but I'm not sure how well that would go for me. Not a whole lot above my weight class, but a time-travelling Faerghus king is definitely something on the list."  
  
"I wasn't king yet. My coronation was the next day." he corrected.  
  
"From what she told me, you were a king in all but title, kiddo."  
  
He thought about that. "I suppose so."  
  
"Your Highness?" Dimitri heard Dedue call.  
  
"Just a moment, Dedue!" he responded. He excused himself from Jeralt's office, and met up with his vassal...and Felix. So this was happening now, then.  
  
"We would...like an explanation, your highness," Dedue murmured, unused to requesting things of him.

"And don't give us the same crap you gave the rest of them." Felix cut in. "They might've been fooled, but between me knowing you, and Dedue knowing you haven't mentioned this woman once...you've got a lot of explaining to do, boar."

"I do." Dimitri conceded. "But not here. Too open."  
  
"Yeah, I'm not an idiot. Is your room safe, Dedue?" Felix asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Alright then, let's go."  
  
Once they got to Dedue's quarters, Dedue locked the door.  
  
"Alright, boar." Felix said. "Talk."  
  
And so he did. He told them everything, from the year at the academy and Byleth, to being framed for his uncle's death and being saved by Dedue, ("I would do it a thousand times more," his vassal had said), to the war, the 5 years of madness. Rodrigue's death ("What an overly loyal moron," Felix derided, not quite able to keep the smile off his face), the retaking of Fhirdiad, the end, with El, his stepsister, all leading to the night before the coronation and the return to the beginning.  
  
By the time he finished speaking, it was late in the afternoon.  
  
"Well, that was...a lot more than I expected." Felix admitted. "I mean, it explains everything, but still, what the hell."  
  
"I suppose it is a good thing that my room is next to Byleth's." Dedue mused, with a small smile. "It will make protecting her far easier."  
  
"You two knowing makes this much easier." Dimitri started. "Felix, could you write your father a letter, requesting an investigation on Cornelia on my behalf?"  
  
"If you weren't so busy trying to make sure Dagger Girl and her pale friends don't kill us all, I'd tell you to do it yourself." Felix said, then sighed. "But yeah, I'll have it out by tomorrow."  
  
"Thank you." Dimitri said. "Dedue, it pains me to ask anything of you..."  
  
"You wish for me to watch Solon?" Dedue finished.  
  
"Not...watch. It's highly unlikely that he'll do much of anything, this early on, but if anything seems...out of sorts, please report it to me, Byleth, or Seteth, if neither of us are available." Dimitri didn't think that last one was necessary, but it was better to be safe than sorry.  
  
"It will be done."  
  
"Thank you, my friend. And naturally, not a word of what was said leaves this room, if it can be avoided at all."  
  
"Of course." Dedue said.  
  
"As if anyone would believe me..." Felix muttered.  
  
"Sylvain and Ingrid might," Dedue countered.  
  
At this, Felix was silent.  
  
"Felix..." Dimitri pleaded.  
  
"Fine. I won't tell anyone." Felix said. "Though, if they ask, I'll tell them that Edelgard is Dagger Girl, and exactly what's going there. Without mentioning the war and the Slithery fucks, of course."  
  
"They do deserve to know about her, at this point..." Dimitri admitted. Edelgard was a secret he kept for far too long, last time.  
  
"On a similar note, I will say that I was simply sworn to silence on matters concerning Lady Byleth." Dedue added.  
  
"That seems prudent as well." Dimitri said. "And...thank you, Felix."  
  
Felix, who was leaving the room, suddenly stopped. "Don't mention it..." he said, before adding, "...Mitya."  
  
"...Mitya?" Dedue repeated, in a questioning tone. He had likely never heard that name, especially not from Felix.  
  
"It is...an old childhood nickname. My father called me that." Dimitri explained. "I...even with this situation, I never thought it would fall from Felix's lips again."  
  
He recapped, mentally. Felix would be treating him more kindly (not that he didn't deserve the harsh treatment, last time). Felix would also write a letter to Lord Rodrigue, effectively removing Cornelia from play by the end of the Harpstring Moon, at the very latest. What else could he affect, on his own...  
  
Ah. Lonato.  
  
It was clear to him, now, that the Western Church that influenced the Gaspard lord was compromised by Those Who Slither. Removing Cornelia might be enough, but just to be safe, he'd inform Lady Rhea.  
  
But before that, he'd need to get to Edelgard, before she found out about Byleth's appointment as Primary Bishop. Her distrust of the Church was certainly influenced by Thales, but she must have her own reasons, and she wouldn't speak of them with the second-most powerful person in the Church, even if that person was his beloved.  
  
Leaving Dedue's room, he caught sight of Byleth, who looked more uncertain than he had seen her in a long time, then saw Edelgard and Hubert behind her.

Moving towards the Black Eagles classroom, Byleth passed by Dedue and Felix, who were likely going to interrogate Dimitri. When they caught sight of her, they stopped.  
  
"Hey. You. Do you know a woman by the name of Byleth Eisner?" Felix asked after a moment.  
  
"I am she." she answered.  
  
At this, Felix's eyes narrowed, as did Dedue's.  
  
"You've never seen this woman before, have you?" Felix asked Dedue.  
  
"I have not." the Duscurian confirmed.  
  
"Hmph. Something tells me we won't get anything out of her." Felix huffed, going past her to the stairs.  
  
Indeed they wouldn't, she thought, moving again. Dimitri would tell them as much as he wanted to, but she wouldn't say a word.  
  
Meeting up with Edelgard and Hubert outside the classroom, Hubert bowed. "I am told you came to the aid of Lady Edelgard," he said. "Thank you for protecting her. I am Hubert von Vestra, vassal to Her Highness."  
  
"It was nothing, honestly." Byleth responded. Would it be wise to tell them of her professorship? It wouldn't be _necessary_. She could simply pretend she wished to meet Edelgard's friends, for now. "It's nice to meet you, Hubert."  
  
"Are you here to meet the Black Eagles, Byleth?" Edelgard asked.  
  
"I am. Between Papa rejoining as the captain of the knights, and Dima being here, the archbishop has allowed me to stay as a guest for a year, before he and I return to the Kingdom so that he can take the throne." Hubert's eyes narrowed at this, but he said nothing.  
  
"I thought it best to get to know your friends, Edelgard. Seeing as you're going to be my stepsister-in-law." Byleth finished.  
  
"Stepsister-in-law? Is that even a thing?" Sothis scoffed.  
  
"You come up with a better term then." Byleth retorted.  
  
Sothis' "humph" was the only response as Edelgard opened the doors.  
  
"Edie! Hubie! You're back!" Dorothea announced with glee.  
  
"Eek! They are!" Bernadetta squeaked, hiding under the desk Linhardt was sleeping on, waking him. "And someone I don't know is with them! Don't kill me, stranger!"  
  
"I highly doubt Edelgard and Hubert would welcome anyone who would hurt any of us, Bernadetta." Linhardt said slowly, before yawning. "Now, do be quiet so I can sleep."  
  
"Now is not sleeping time, Linhardt." Petra chided. "Lady Edelgard has brought a guest."  
  
"And what a lovely guest she is!" Dorothea exclaimed. "Do introduce her to us, Edie."  
  
"If you insist." Edelgard obliged, in a...singsong tone? Was there something between those two that she had missed?  
  
"This is Byleth Eisner, a renowned mercenary also known as the Ashen Demon, and daughter of Sir Jeralt Eisner." Edelgard began, recapturing Byleth's focus. "And, as you may have heard, Prince Dimitri's lover."  
  
Bernadetta nearly screamed in shock, and Linhardt was wide awake at the revelation.  
  
"Oh, did she _have_ to add that last detail?" Sothis sighed. "This is going to get tiresome."  
  
Byleth inwardly agreed.  
  
"I would not think such a scaresome fighter could have much time for...courtship." Petra mused.  
  
"Only means she's probably been slacking on her training!" Caspar shouted. "I bet I can beat her!"  
  
"You should not speak of the future Queen of Faerghus like that, Caspar." The Aegir heir scolded. "But...to think I would be able to describe a mercenary as such, without humor."  
  
"Of course you would focus on the position she might hold, Ferdie." Dorothea snapped. "It is kind of odd, I admit. A mercenary queen. Who would've thought? Though, she certainly looks regal enough."  
  
"Blaiddyds have always married for love," Linhardt stated, ever the history scholar. "Her current position means little. Faerghus has seen no less than nine common-born queens."  
  
"Oh no, if I make her mad, then the whole Kingdom's gonna come after me!" Bernadetta realized, shaking.  
  
"The archbishop has invited Miss Eisner as the monastery's guest, on account of her father continuing his tenure as Captain of the Knights of Seiros after 20 years of being away." Hubert explained, cutting through the chatter.

"And now she's in the same place as Prince Dimitri until one of them leaves," Dorothea pointed out, before giggling. "Ooh, this is so romantic! I simply must know how you two met."  
  
Byleth smiled weakly. "I'll tell you the story later," she told the songstress.  
  
Edelgard, noticing her discomfort, shepherded her out of the room with Hubert's help. "I do apologize for all the noise, Byleth," she sighed. "They can get like this on occasion. I just thought they should know..."  
  
"No, it's fine," Byleth assured her. "This is...while I didn't expect that much noise, I did say I wished to meet what friends you had here. But...you didn't tell them about you and Dima."  
  
"That..." Edelgard paused, looking somewhat conflicted. "I will tell them soon, but with all the excitement already in the air, I did not wish for the attention."  
  
While she understood that desire of Edelgard's, it seemed increasingly likely that she was going to be known here as "Prince Dimitri's lover who happened to be a mercenary and then a professor", rather than "a mysterious mercenary-turned-professor". Not the reputation she wanted to have.  
  
"Speaking of Prince Dimitri, we have something to discuss with him." Hubert said.  
  
...What?  
  
"You as well, Byleth." Edelgard added.  
  
 _What?_  
  
"Very...well." Byleth managed. She began walking to her room. "My assigned room is nearby. I'll show you to it, then find Dima..."  
  
Or...nevermind. Dimitri was exiting the dorm right next to hers. Right, that was Dedue's. She had almost forgotten.  
  
"Beloved! I..." Dimitri began, before noticing Edelgard and the confusion that _surely_ must be on her face. "El? What's...going on?"  
  
"We have a proposal for you, Prince Dimitri." Hubert announced.  
  
 ** _What was going on?_**

"Do you truly think it wise to involve Miss Eisner in this discussion, Lady Edelgard?" Hubert whispered.  
  
"I do, if only just for her ability to keep Dimitri in a rational mood." Edelgard answered. Byleth was walking away, guiding them to her quarters, and they followed.  
  
She'd only been here for about eight hours. Why did she already have her own room? Yes, being here as the knight-captain's daughter did mean she wasn't just _anybody_ , but even so...  
  
Well, too late to take it back now.  
  
Especially with Dimitri already in sight. Why was he so close? Was this a mistake?  
  
"I had forgotten that Molinaro's room was there." Hubert said.  
  
Oh. That explained it. He was checking in with his vassal.  
  
Dimitri called out to Byleth, then noticed that she and Hubert were there as well. Hubert played on the confusion evident in the couples' expressions.  
  
"No need to be so dramatic, Hubert." Edelgard admonished him, before turning to Dimitri. "We just have something of importance to discuss with you and Byleth."  
  
She saw confusion and apprehension on her stepbrother's face. He was being cautious. This would not be as easy as she'd hoped, then.  
  
"My room's right here, Dima. Let's at least listen to what they have to say." Byleth said, opening the door to a dorm room, before entering, followed by Dimitri.  
  
Good. She could work with listening. She and Hubert entered Byleth's room, and Hubert closed the door.  
  
Dimitri and Byleth sat side-by-side on the bed, so Edelgard took the desk chair. Hubert stood by the desk. "Mitya...this is going to be hard for me to say." Cautious optimism was on his face.  
  
"I understand, El."  
  
"I..." Edelgard trailed off. How in the _world_ was she to go about this matter?  
  
If she was to get him on her side, she needed to be honest. "I know the truth behind Duscur."  
  
Byleth loudly sighed in what seemed to be relief, while Dimitri simply closed his eyes and smiled softly.  
  
Those were not the reactions she expected. Perhaps Dimitri was just trying to keep himself calm, but...Byleth...  
  
"Miss Eisner. Explain yourself." Hubert demanded.  
  
"Let me guess..." the mercenary started. She, too, smiled softly now. "You intended to come to us with the truth behind Duscur, in hopes that we would work with you against Those Who Slither, and then the Church."  
  
 ** _How did she−_**  
  
 _"Byleth Eisner."_ Hubert began, readying a spell, magic pulsing off his form. _"You will explain exactly how you know that, in full."_  
  
"Of course, Hubert." the woman replied, unfazed by the threat. "It's...rather simple, really. Me and Dimitri have come back through time from after we won the war you started. And we did so to save _you_ , Elly."  
  
That...made the strangest kind of sense. Hubert's magic faltered, then stopped.

"So _that's_ how you knew about the bandit attack," she said, glaring at Dimitri. Premonition indeed.  
  
"Wait, that was you?" Dimitri asked, genuinely.  
  
...He didn't know that? She supposed compared to starting a whole war against the church, a simple bandit attack was nothing, but still, they know about Those Who Slither In The Dark.  
  
"You're probably wondering how we know about your pale friends. Or, not-friends, as the case may be." Byleth continued. "Before I chose Dimitri...I chose to teach _you_ , Elly. And you told me **_everything._** "  
  
Of course she did. This mercenary was strong. She would've done much to have her on her side. ...But that nickname. Byleth's used it twice now, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it.  
  
"El." Dimitri began, softly looking at her. "We...are going to remove them. They are a danger to Fódlan, and cannot be suffered. Even you must see this."  
  
"Of course I do. But..."  
  
"Let me finish," her stepbrother interrupted. "I know you likely only agreed to do this because Lord Arundel, or as Byleth knows him, Thales, threatens you."  
  
That was true enough. He didn't seem to know about her problems with Crests, though.

"I just want to know one thing." Dimitri continued, his voice still soft, but with an underlying edge. "The changed color of your hair. Your siblings, alive and then not. The fact that you didn't recognize me when we first met. The screams in the night, coming from your dorm in this very monastery. The _monster_ you transformed yourself into, in hopes of victory at the last possible moment!"  
  
The crown prince was visibly shaking with rage, almost shouting now. _"What did that devil **do** to you, El?!"_

Dimitri's rage at those who wronged her was...palpable.

"...You did not tell him, Byleth?" Edelgard murmured.  
  
"I did not think it right. Not without giving you the chance first," Byleth replied.  
  
So, she really did know everything. But then...  
  
"What exactly do you intend to do, Byleth? You know my opinions on Crests and the Church. You know the damage they have done," Edelgard asked.  
  
"You are right about Crests, Elly." Byleth began. She really wasn't going to let up with that nickname, was she. Better than Claude's 'Princess', but not by much. "And you are right about the Church. Rhea is not fit to lead, not with the madness she keeps bottled up."  
  
"But we can handle that with diplomacy. Rhea always sees fit to make me her successor. I can and will change the Church. If you work with Dimitri, I'm sure we can change the way the world views Crests." Byleth said. "But you will need to explain to him why you hate them so."  
  
"...Must I tell him of those days beneath Enbarr?" Edelgard muttered. She did not wish to, but for the future she sought...  
  
"I will tell him if you cannot," Byleth tells her. "But I'm sure he'd prefer to hear it from you."  
  
"I...will tell him, in time." Edelgard said. "But...not now. Today has been...much, and I need to rest."  
  
"One more thing, Elly." Byleth said. "Rhea has appointed me your professor."  
  
That...was...  
  
"Does she know what you and Prince Dimitri do?" Hubert asked. That hadn't even occured to her.  
  
"She does," Byleth confirmed. Edelgard froze. Byleth must have seen her reaction, because she immediately followed up with "But she trusts me, and my ability to help you. So long as you do not act directly against the church, she will do nothing. And even if that weren't the case, I would protect you from her, just as I did before."  
  
That would have to be enough, she supposed.  
  
"Good night, my teacher, Mitya," she said. It was only sundown, but that didn't matter today.  
  
"Shall I bring dinner to your room, Lady Edelgard?" Hubert suggested.  
  
"Yes. Thank you, Hubert." Truth be told, she did not feel much like eating, but it would not do to go to sleep with an empty stomach after a day like this. She'd pay for it in spades in her sleep.  
  
Nearly half an hour later, having eaten as much as she could bear, Edelgard went to sleep, and dreamt of those days in the Kingdom, accompanied by a song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard is a fuckin mess lmao
> 
> Also like...everything that happened past the like, halfway point in Chapter 1? One fucking day. Dawn, dusk. No wonder Edelgard's exhausted.
> 
> And yeah, these chapters are definitely getting longer. 4000 more characters in this chapter than the last. Wild.


	6. Love Eternal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Dimitri meets someone he's known all along, he and Byleth figure out some stuff together, and then Edelgard gets gossiped about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so, uh, y'all aren't gonna believe this. The reason why this chapter took so long to write is because I was too busy writing what's gonna end up being, like, Chapters 19-23 or something to write Chapter 6.
> 
> No, I'm not joking.
> 
> I have this problem when writing a LOT, unfortunately.

Dimitri still sat on Byleth's bed, after Edelgard left. That was a truly trying conversation, but they seemed to have procured Edelgard and Hubert's cooperation.  
  
He should catch Byleth up to speed on everything. "Beloved?"  
  
"Yes, Dima-dear?" she responded, snuggling up to him.  
  
This...though he put up the front of being unflusterable earlier, he was still in his beloved's bedroom.  
  
"Byleth...though we may have Lady Rhea's blessing, there are still limits to propriety." he pointed out, his face somewhat hot. "And you know I love the words of affection you deign to grant me, but...'Dima-dear' is a bit much."  
  
She pouted, for a moment, before moving to the desk. "Alright, alright, I suppose Seteth might kill us yet." she said, smiling and turning the chair around, so she could sit in it backwards and face him.  
  
Lovely. _Beautiful._ He was truly blessed, to have this woman.  
  
"I was thinking about Lonato, before you came over with Edelgard and Hubert." he started, getting them back on topic.  
  
"Oh, right, Lonato!" she startled. "Shit, what do we do about that...?"  
  
"Well, we know he was influenced by the Western Church." Dimitri said.  
  
"Right, right...though he had his own motive for going against the Central Church," she reminded him.  
  
Christophe. An unfortunate loss, though there was nothing he could do about it now.  
  
"Indeed. That aside, though, I believe the Western Church is, at this point, compromised by or perhaps completely under the control of Those Who Slither In The Dark," he suggested.  
  
"That seems likely, considering all that the Western Church does later," she agreed. The incidents at the Holy Mausoleum and the Rhodos Coast seemed too much like Slither-inspired work to him, and she seemed to think so as well.  
  
"Felix and Dedue now know everything, so we can count on them in a pinch," he told her. "Dedue is keeping an eye on Solon's movements, so should anything come up there, we'll know about it. And Felix is writing to Rodrigue as we speak."  
  
"Which means Cornelia's toast." Byleth said, stretching her arms above her head.  
  
"Correct. That should lessen their influence over the Western Church, but just to be safe, I feel we should warn Lady Rhea." At this, she became contemplative. "What is on your mind, beloved?"  
  
"I'm thinking we should consolidate a proper plan with Edelgard, before we make any serious moves," she mused. "All of what you're saying makes sense to do, but she might have knowledge that we don't. There's no use in pissing off the Western Church by sending an angry Rhea over there if just removing Cornelia turned out to be enough."  
  
"Also, Thales keeps fairly consistent contact with Edelgard during the academy year," Byleth added. "If we can convince her to just fucking kill the bastard, something that shouldn't be all that hard at this point, we can do away with Solon and just have a lovely time for the rest of the year."  
  
That was an extremely valid point. No need to mess around if they could just start chopping heads. And as much as he wanted to kill Thales himself, if what _it_ did to Edelgard was even half as bad as he thought, she deserved its head far more.  
  
Although...  
  
"An isolated Solon should perhaps be interrogated." Dimitri suggested. "Discover their plans, their base of operations, if they have one. Edelgard might have some of this information, but Solon would surely have more."  
  
He loathed to keep any of these beasts alive, but it was the best option.  
  
"Of course. I doubt he'll talk much, but any information is good information." Byleth said. "Hubert should oversee that, though. You and Rhea can get... _intense_ , and between you, Elly, and Remire, I wouldn't be much better. Also, this is kinda his thing."  
  
"Beloved, why do you call her that?" he asked. Elly was such an odd name, for Edelgard.  
  
"Because she never let me use Dorothea's 'Edie'. And by the time she told me about 'El', she was willing to accept anything from me," she answered, "and it's cute."  
  
"I'm...not sure she likes it, though."  
  
"She'll come around."  
  
Something made him uncertain about that. What was it...?  
  
Oh.

"Is this why Edelgard would occasionally glare at you during the academy year, beloved?"  
  
Byleth looked instantly uncertain. "Maayyybeee..." she said, twiddling her fingers.  
  
"Beloved, we need to secure her cooperation," Dimitri began. "Not to say that Edelgard is so petty as to start a war simply because you used a nickname she didn't like, but...with how many lives hang in the balance, it is better to be safe than sorry."  
  
"But it's different now!" Byleth argued. "She knows that I know her, and that I'd never reject her. And I'm her teacher this time, rather than yours. That makes things super different between us, trust me."  
  
"You forget that you are second-in-command of the entire Church now, beloved," Dimitri countered. "That, too, makes a significant difference in how she would trust you."  
  
"Fine," Byleth conceded, getting out of her seat. "I'll ask her about it tomorrow. For now, let's go get dinner. I never got to eat lunch, and I'm starving."  
  
He, too, hadn't eaten lunch. They were rather busy, after all, but now that Byleth mentioned it, he was hungry. "That seems wise," he said, offering his arm as he opened the door. "Shall we?"  
  
"We shall," she answered, taking it.  
  
They moved towards the dining hall. Night had fallen, and as he expected, the gossip had already begun to spread.  
  
"Woah, so that's the Ashen Demon..." "Locking arms with the Prince..." "So they really are a couple, huh..." "We're past that! They just came out of her room, together!" "You don't think they..."  
  
"How annoying," a voice sighed, "I remember the gossip machine around here being something else, but still, it hasn't even been a full day yet."  
  
"True, but that's Claude, Hilda, Dorothea, and Sylvain working in tandem for you," Dimitri replied.  
  
Byleth stopped, suddenly. "Dima, did you just..."  
  
"Did I...what, beloved?" Dimitri answered. "I heard someone make a comment, and responded."  
  
Byleth looked...alarmed. "Yes, but..."  
  
"Allow me to explain, child," the voice cut in, as a floating, childlike figure appeared a few feet in front of them. "Greetings, Dimitri. I am Sothis."

This was getting ridiculous. Dimitri could apparently see and hear Sothis, now.  
  
"Yes...Hello..." Dimitri managed, seemingly amazed.  
  
"Speak with your mind, child," Sothis scolded him. "You of all people should know how having a conversation with thin air is perceived."  
  
"Sothis!" Byleth snapped at her, internally. "Don't be rude!"  
  
Dimitri turned to her, a wide grin on his face. "I can hear you as well, now!" he cheered telepathically.  
  
"How curious," Sothis mused. "But food calls for us! Let us walk and talk, or rather, walk and think, as the case may be."  
  
Continuing towards the dining hall, the shock of the revelation began to fade. "Does this have anything to do with you remembering everything?" Byleth wondered.  
  
"It surely must," Sothis answered as they got their food. "The bond between the two of you must have grown so deep that it survived the trip back to the beginning, and retroactively made him close to me, as well."  
  
"This is an odd situation," Dimitri said, "But ultimately, I am just pleased to have finally met my beloved's oldest friend."  
  
"You would say that, child," Sothis responded. "Not that I mean that in a bad way, of course. You have taken each perplexing circumstance in stride, and done your best to see the good in each, and improve what you can."  
  
"A far cry from the man I once was," he replied. "I thank you, Sothis, for protecting her in all the ways I could not."  
  
"Does this mean he could react to the Divine Pulse, now?" Byleth wondered. Dimitri looked...somewhat dejected?  
  
"You have such strange priorities, child!" Sothis shouted in exasperation. "You have discovered that you can now telepathically communicate with your love, and your first question is about whether or not he can react to my time shenanigans? Shame on you!"  
  
"I...ah..." Byleth tried, taking a bite of her food. "I suppose...it is nice to continue conversations while eating..." Sothis sighed loudly at this.  
  
"Forgive her, Dimitri," Sothis offered him, "she is simply being a fool, as she tends to be, when caught off guard."  
  
"I...yes, I'm sorry, Dima," Byleth apologized, "I didn't think my words through, and...I hurt you, as a result."  
  
"It is...okay, beloved," he assured her, "This is a perplexing situation, and the implications of what could occur are without number."  
  
"I love you, Dima," she said, grabbing his hand. "Don't ever doubt that."  
  
"Of course, beloved," he answered.  
  
Their meals finished, they left the dining hall. "Let me escort you back to your room, beloved."  
  
"Of course, Dima."  
  
The walk back was...somewhat tense. Once they arrived at her room, she turned to him, raising a hand to his face. "Hey Dima?"  
  
"...Yes, beloved?"  
  
"If you have a nightmare tonight, tell me telepathically immediately. I'll start brewing some chamomile right away."  
  
"...I couldn't possibly wake you..."  
  
"Right away, Dima. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."  
  
She kissed him.  
  
"...I...very well, beloved. Thank you."  
  
They departed for their rooms, and each had a peaceful night of sleep.  
  
When she awoke in the morning, she decided to get some training done. Though her skills always came back to the start with her, the strength she gained during the war did not. She left her room, and found Dedue waiting outside.  
  
"Lady Byleth," he said, bowing.  
  
"Please, Dedue, there's no need for this. Simply use my name, or call me Professor," she replied. Of course, now that Dedue knew her relationship with Dimitri, he would be like this.  
  
"Of course...Professor," the Duscurian managed, some confusion entering his tone.  
  
"Lady Rhea named me professor of the Black Eagles, yesterday," Byleth explained to him.  
  
"I see. That should help in convincing Princess Edelgard," Dedue mused. "At any rate, His Highness wishes for you to join him in the training grounds."  
  
"Just as well, then. I was about to head there myself," Byleth told him. "Did he...sleep well?"  
  
"Very," he answered. "He seemed better rested than I have ever seen him. I assume I have you to thank, for that."

"Not just me," she replied, moving towards the training grounds, "Lord Rodrigue, Gustave, you, all of the Blue Lions, really."  
  
"Sir Gustave was involved in the war?" Dedue asked, following her.  
  
"Of course. In fact, we should meet him in the coming months, though he'll be operating under the name Gilbert."  
  
"I see." Opening the door to the training grounds, she saw Dimitri already working up a sweat. "Your Highness, we've arrived."  
  
He stopped in the middle of a drill. "Ah, beloved, you've come. Thank you for escorting her, Dedue."  
  
Looking around, she noticed what looked to be the broken remains of two training lances, and the one in Dimitri's hands wasn't in the best condition, either. "You're pushing yourself so hard, already..." she said, sadly.  
  
"I'm...sorry, beloved," he offered. "While the precision of my strikes is at the level it was, by the end, my strength is not. Having one aspect without the other simply does not feel right. Additionally, I fought with just one eye for nearly 4 years. I have to get used to fighting with both, again."  
  
"Your strength will return with time, Dima. I don't like seeing you push yourself so hard," she countered harshly, "you're going to hurt yourself like this."  
  
"But...if I am not strong enough..." he trailed off.  
  
"Our enemies will fall regardless, Dimitri. I'll make certain of that."  
  
"I see. I will try not to push myself so much, this early on. But my point about the difference between fighting with one eye and fighting with two still stands. Against the bandits, I nearly took what could've been a fatal blow. I need to get used to this again, and fast."  
  
"Alright, Dima," she conceded the matter. "I assume that's what you wanted me here for?"  
  
"Of course. By sparring with you, beloved, I believe I can get my reflexes back to the point they need to be. No one else, aside from perhaps Catherine, Sir Jeralt, or Lady Rhea, could offer a similar level of challenge."  
  
"No. Only Rhea. Papa and Catherine are definitely strong and fast, but they're below our level."  
  
"Hm." Dimitri pondered this. "Maybe," he said, barely blocking her first strike.  
  
"You ready, Dima?" she asked with a smirk.  
  
"Always, beloved." he answered, returning it.  
  
They fought for some time, and eventually, some people entered.  
  
"Wow, look at them go," a feminine voice said.  
  
"I don't usually find entertainment in viewing physical combat, but I will admit that this is a sight to behold," a darker voice agreed.  
  
"How long has this been going on?" the female voice asked.  
  
"They began at dawn," Dedue answered.  
  
"That was...nearly an hour ago," the darker voice pointed out, surprise in his tone.  
  
Was it?  
  
Huh.  
  
Dimitri took advantage of her slight surprise and managed to get a major hit in. "I say that's enough, beloved."  
  
"Yeah, let's go get some breakfast...oh, hi, Edelgard," Byleth managed, noticing the owners of the voices. "And Hubert, too. What's going on?"  
  
"We were thinking you should introduce yourself to the rest of the Eagles as our professor," Edelgard said.  
  
"Well, it'll have to wait until after I eat," Byleth told her, "after all, I was sparring with Dima for nearly an hour, as Hubert so rudely pointed out."  
  
"I am not to blame for your inability to keep control over your reactions in a fight," the Vestra heir argued.  
  
"I'd like to see how long you last against him..." Byleth countered, "but I'm hungry. And I need to clean myself up, before even that. See you in an hour, at least."  
  
Byleth left the training grounds for the bathhouse.

"Hm. How...uncouth," Hubert commented as she left.  
  
"Well, she is tired and hungry. You're no better before your morning coffee," Edelgard defended.  
  
"In fact, Hubert," Dimitri said, "from what I remember of you, even during the academy year, you're scarcely better even _after_ your morning coffee."  
  
"To be fair to my future self, Prince Dimitri," Hubert began, "up until yesterday, my only business with you was assessing what you'd be like as an enemy. And you _would_ be an enemy, what with Cornelia's, or rather, Bias' manipulations. You'll have to forgive me if that knowledge made me a touch dismissive."  
  
"Of course. I have no intentions of holding anyone accountable for their actions during the war," her stepbrother told them, "But...you called her Bias. That does bring me to a matter I intended to ask you two about."  
  
"What sort of matter?" Edelgard asked.  
  
"Things concerning the Western Church," Dimitri answered, "Things will come to a head there, rather soon. As the crown prince of the Kingdom...as well as a friend to one who will be deeply hurt by those events, I humbly ask you for any and all information you have concerning the matter."  
  
"Miss Eisner will have to forgive us for using her room for this conversation," Hubert said, leaving the training grounds with Edelgard.  
  
"I−That's−" Dimitri stammered, chasing after them.  
  
"Something wrong, Prince Dimitri?" Hubert asked, impatiently.  
  
"...Please, just knock first," he pleaded, blushing.  
  
Right. The bathhouse. "She may have returned to her quarters already," Edelgard pointed out.  
  
"Very well." He knocked on the door, once, twice. No answer. "And it is unlocked," he said, after trying the doorknob. They entered the room.  
  
"This is not a good idea," Dimitri blurted out, still blushing.  
  
"There are changing rooms in the bathhouse," Edelgard reminded him. Surely she'd use those, right? Surely.  
  
"Now, as an answer to your plea, Prince Dimitri," Hubert began, "we are, unfortunately, not told as much as you might think, when it comes to Slither operations."  
  
"We're...essentially only informed on a need to know basis," Edelgard explained. "As an example, we know there is one of them here in Garreg Mach, but I'm not entirely sure who that is, yet."  
  
"It is Tomas, the librarian," Dimitri said, "His true name is Solon, and I have Dedue keeping track of his daily activities. If he does anything out of sorts, I'll know."  
  
"Naturally," Hubert replied. "But, just because they don't tell us certain things doesn't mean we don't know of them. I am heir to House Vestra, and I take that position very seriously. As such, I make it my business to find as much information about Slither operations as I possibly can."  
  
Dimitri perked up at this. "So what can you offer me...?"  
  
"Not much, unfortunately," Hubert admitted, "though I can give you one thing, aside from Arnim's true identity, which you seem to have already been at least somewhat aware of. In addition to her, the Bishop of the Western Church has been replaced by a Slither operative. Removing them both should remove most, if not all, of their hold over the Kingdom."  
  
"I see. Thank you. I am truly in your debt," Dimitri said. "But...to think someone so high in the Church could be..."  
  
"The Archbishop keeps a very poor vigil," Edelgard cut in, "Dimitri, I must know your opinion on−"  
  
The door opened, revealing Byleth in little more than a towel.  
  
"Beloved−I−" Dimitri attempted, blushing bright red.  
  
"I'm so sorry!" Edelgard nearly shouted, turning away from the woman, not faring much better than her stepbrother.  
  
"M-My apologies as well," Hubert managed, at least having the decency to look ashamed.  
  
"Hubert. I know this was your decision, because neither Dima or Elly would do this. I get it, but no. Find somewhere else in the future, if I'm not available to ask." Byleth said calmly. "Now, out, all of you."  
  
They were quick to follow her orders.  
  
"I...did say that was a bad idea!" Dimitri managed after a moment.  
  
"Point taken," Hubert conceded.

After another moment, Dimitri startled, as if hearing something. Hubert grew more alert at this as well. "Yes? What is it, Prince Dimitri?"  
  
Her stepbrother seemed to notice them, again. "Oh, um...it's a bit difficult to explain, but essentially, when Byleth turns back time, no one but her is supposed to remember. We think that the bond between us grew so deep by the end of the war that this no longer applies to me, and that changes a few other things as well."  
  
"Such as?" Edelgard prompted him.  
  
"Well, for one," he began, "being truthful, Byleth's power to turn back time isn't hers. It's Sothis'. Yes, that Sothis. Lady Rhea did something to Byleth at birth that allowed Sothis to exist within Byleth. Before now, the only one who could see or hear her was Byleth, but once again, this no longer applies to me. In addition to being able to hear her, I can communicate back, both verbally and telepathically. And since I can speak with Sothis telepathically, and Sothis exists within Byleth, I can do so with her, as well."  
  
How... _enviable_.  
  
"Mitya, you realize you have something no one else has ever had, or ever will?" Edelgard said softly. "The ability to speak with a loved one, regardless of the distance or walls between them, at any given moment. That's something people _dream_ of."  
  
"I...do realize that, El," he replied. "I've known for a long time, just how lucky I am to have her. This...only adds to that. It can be grand things, like assuring one of your love, or simple things, like reminding someone of breakfast plans, like she did just now. I bear every word of hers, with pride and joy."  
  
How wonderfully in love, her stepbrother was. She'd never experience that.  
  
"You'll experience love, too, one day, El," Dimitri said, as if reading her mind. "If someone like me is worthy of this joy, then surely you are, as well."  
  
"But then...who would..." Edelgard trailed off. Who would love a broken and scarred thing like her?  
  
"Well, I'm not entirely certain on this, Elly," Byleth said, now out of her room (and dressed), "but if I'm right, that person's a little closer than you might think."  
  
"You say that like you've seen something I haven't, my teacher," Edelgard said, pointedly.  
  
"But she might very well be onto something," Hubert mused.  
  
"Hubert! You as well?!" Edelgard asked, indignantly. Even her vassal had noticed something, it seems.  
  
"I'm afraid so, Lady Edelgard. For the sake of our cause, though, I shall keep quiet about my suspicions." he offered, humor in his voice.

His suspicions. "What do you mean? What suspicions?"

"Hubert," Byleth warned. "Don't tell her. She's gonna be an absolute mess for like, a week if you do. It'll only be worse around the person in question. Trust me, this needs to happen naturally."  
  
"And how would you know that...?" Hubert asked.

"Time powers," her tormentor said, as if that explained everything. "Also, this relationship happened, once before. I just...didn't realize what it was, until yesterday."

Hm. A fated relationship, it seems. Who could it possibly be...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard's still a fuckin mess but for entirely different reasons now lol. Who indeed. (It's Dorothea but she doesn't know that).
> 
> Anyway, no one asked, but like, the reason I decided that Cornelia is Bias is because in VW/SS "Cornelia" not so coincedentally dips the second you take Enbarr and then there's two Gremories in Shambhala and they're named Bias and Pittacus so she kinda has to be one of them and Pittacus sounds like a guy's name so I went with Bias.
> 
> Again, no one asked, but someone might.


	7. A Release of Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimitri talks to his friends, Byleth tells the Eagles she's a teacher now, and gets a new nickname, and Edelgard comes to a conclusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so, uh, there's like, a LOT of telepathic communication in this chapter. Like, Dima and Bylie are just thinkin' at each other nonstop if they can get away with it. And I got tired of indicating talking out loud and thinky-talking with like, words, so I came up with a system.
> 
> ` ` - indicates thinky-talking  
> " " - indicates jaw wiggles

After his beloved teased Edelgard some more, they went off to eat breakfast.  
  
`Who is Edelgard's love?` Dimitri asked her.  
  
`Dorothea,` Byleth answered. `At least, I'm pretty sure.`  
  
Ah. `I think I can remember that starting to come to something, before...` he trailed off.  
  
Before Remire. Before the Chapel, the Sealed Forest, and the Holy Tomb.  
  
Before he started spiralling into madness.  
  
Byleth must've noticed his mood change, because she nuzzled against him. "It's okay," she said. "None of those things will happen, this time. We'll make sure of it."  
  
Speaking of preventing things...  
  
`I was speaking to Edelgard and Hubert in your room, before,` Dimitri said. `They told me the Western Church's Bishop is a Slither operative.`  
  
`We'll have to tell Rhea about that...` Byleth replied.  
  
No other option, of course. Primary Bishop was a powerful position, but to have a Bishop entirely dismissed required the Archbishop's approval.  
  
They reached the dining hall, got their food, and sat down.  
  
`Should we tell her about Solon, specifically?` Dimitri asked.  
  
`Not yet,` Byleth answered. `Not until we have Edelgard and Hubert completely on board with whatever plan we have for him.`  
  
`I told them about him,` he said, `Edelgard and Hubert, I mean. They knew there was one of them in the monastery, they just didn't know who, yet.`  
  
`I wonder if she knew about Remire, before it happened...` Byleth mused.  
  
`I should think not,` Sothis responded, `after all, she seemed just as surprised by Solon revealing himself as the rest of them. And even if that were an act, her anger at what occured was too pointed to be fake, then. She did not condone it, at least.`  
  
`This arrangement we have makes things much easier,` Dimitri said, `We can talk about this sort of thing...anywhere.`  
  
`We ought to test the range on it at some point,` Byleth suggested, `if it's large enough, we might even be able to communicate from opposite sides of the battlefield.`  
  
`...You know I prefer to keep you in sight during battles, beloved.`  
  
`Yeah, but that's not always an option.`  
  
`Then I'll make it an option. _We'll_ make it an option. Together, we can...`  
  
"Yo, Your Highness!" Sylvain interrupted. "Dinner together, now breakfast? You two are practically already married."  
  
"We are not, Sylvain," Dimitri denied, "Not yet, at least."  
  
"Oh? Thinking about that sort of thing already?" The redhead teased with a wide smile that completely fell a moment after. "Can I speak with you, alone, for a moment?"  
  
"I..." Sylvain wouldn't be asking like that if it weren't something important. But, this was time with his beloved...  
  
"Go ahead, Dima," Byleth said.  
  
"Thank you, beloved. Hopefully this won't take but a moment."  
  
"Honestly, Mitya, are you sure about this?" Sylvain asked. "I know you, and I know this Byleth makes you happy, but...I'm really worried about what'll happen to you, if this turns out to be the wrong call."  
  
"I am, Sylvain," he answered with all his conviction. "I know why you worry, but trust me, Byleth is not like all the women who throw themselves at you, either for your Crest, wealth, or both. She's better than that."  
  
Sylvain's eyes narrowed. "I've thought that a couple times myself, Mitya. I turned out to be wrong, both times."  
  
"Well, if my accounts of her personality aren't enough to convince you, then perhaps something else will," Dimitri replied, dropping his voice to a whisper, "She was named Primary Bishop by Lady Rhea, yesterday. It's not something we want widely known, for now, but tell me, why would the next Archbishop want for someone out of greed?"  
  
"That's...a pretty valid point, Mitya," his friend admitted. "I'll trust you and your judgement, for now, and keep quiet about the Bishop thing, if that's what you want, but I'm keeping an eye on her."  
  
Dimitri wanted to tell his friend off for that, knew it wasn't necessary, but also knew it came from a place of concern. He'd allow it, for now. "Thank you, Sylvain. For all of it."  
  
"Anytime, Your Highness," the older man said, leaving the room.  
  
`What was that about?` Byleth asked from across the room.

Dimitri returned to his seat. `Sylvain's genuine opinion on the women who throw themselves at him. He's afraid that you're the same, and that I'll get hurt.`  
  
Byleth nodded. `It's unnecessary, but he's just worried about you.`  
  
`Yes, I'm aware,` he replied, `that's why I'm allowing his suspicions, for now. Hopefully, he's convinced otherwise, before long. Though I had to tell him about your appointment as Primary Bishop to get him to back off.`  
  
`Sylvain can keep a secret, if he really needs to,` she assured him.  
  
Indeed he could, but not under pressure.  
  
`I'm sorry about the marriage thing, by the way,` Byleth said after they finished eating. `I know you were looking forward to the wedding.`  
  
`I...beloved, all of this is nothing more than a setback on that matter,` he assured her.  
  
`Not that history will perceive it as such,` she replied as they got up from their seats. `Still, if you want, I'll go to my dad's office and ask him for the ring, right now. He'd give it to me.`  
  
`I thank you, beloved. But it would not be right to accept your ring without one to give you in return,` Dimitri said.  
  
"Okay, Sylvain told me you two were being weird," Felix said, just outside of the dining hall (mercifully empty, at this point). "And...yeah, what's with the staring contests? And not talking?"  
  
"Telepathy," Dimitri answered honestly.  
  
"...Huh?" Felix managed, dumbfounded.  
  
"We can communicate just by thinking at each other really hard," Byleth explained.  
  
 _"...Huh?"_ Felix repeated, before shaking his head. "You know what, fuck it, I'm just going to assume that this has something to do with the time bullshit you two have going on. You two are fucking weird."  
  
"Yeah, that's basically it," Byleth admitted. "Anyway, I need to get back to Edelgard, then I think I'll have lunch with some of the Eagles. I'll see you at dinner, I guess, Dima."  
  
"Of course, beloved. Tell me if you need anything," he responded, before she walked away.  
  
"I came here for a reason, not just to watch the lovebirds make noise," Felix said, pulling a piece of parchment from a pocket. "I finished the letter to my old man, this morning. Wanted you to have a look at it."  
  
Felix...wanted him to... "What?"  
  
"Normally, I wouldn't bother, but..." his friend trailed off, then sighed. "Look, you made this seem pretty important. Couldn't risk screwing it up," he said, holding out the letter.  
  
"Of course, friend," Dimitri took it, and gave it a read. There were marks of typical "Felix talking to Rodrigue"-type frustration, but it did communicate things in a way that he knew Rodrigue would listen to. "This looks good. Once again, thank you, Felix."  
  
"Don't mention it, Dimitri."

"It would seem things are already moving along on your end," Hubert told Byleth.  
  
"Well, we did discuss it, the night before. Of course it wouldn't take long," she replied.  
  
"The night before?" Edelgard asked. "Oh, before you..."  
  
"Turned back time, yes," Byleth finished. "Dima's really taken this in stride. He's come so far...I'm really proud of him."  
  
"Yes, well, both you and he have your own responsibilities, in this era," Hubert reminded her. "Shall we attend to yours?"  
  
"Of course, Hubert. But first..." she said, remembering a conversation with Dimitri, "how do you feel about the name Elly, Edelgard?"  
  
"I...well..." Edelgard attempted, somewhat fidgety.  
  
"Do not be afraid to speak your mind," she assured the girl. "If you do not like it, I will not call you that."  
  
"I didn't like it, at first," Edelgard began, "I thought it was just another way to tease me. But I think it's starting to grow on me. I...shall need another week, at most, before I can give you a definitive answer."  
  
"Naturally," Byleth responded, "take as long as you need. And I'm told you helped Dima with a matter concerning the Western Church...as someone who watched you struggle to open up, even to your closest allies, I'm proud of you taking the initiative so early, this time."  
  
"Well," Edelgard said, "I do not wish to see them prevail, just like anyone else. And Dimitri...you know my opinions on most of the nobility. None of them apply to him. He truly is fit to rule."  
  
"Indeed. I am sworn to you and you alone, Lady Edelgard, but I look at Prince Dimitri and I see a man who cares not just for his countrymen, but _any_ souls who might fall under his protection," Hubert admitted, "should you ask that I aid him, Lady Edelgard, I will not hesitate to do so."  
  
"I thank you, Hubert. I have a feeling I will make that exact request of you at some point," Edelgard replied, "but for now, let us see to the souls that fall under _our_ protection."  
  
They walked to the classroom, and opened the door.  
  
"Oh, Edie and Hubie! You're back. And you've brought Bylie with you!" Dorothea announced.  
  
..."Bylie"?  
  
...She now understood Edelgard's frustration at stupid nicknames.  
  
`I rather like it, myself,` Sothis said.  
  
`Shut it, _Sothy_ ,` Byleth snapped.  
  
`Ooh, do call me that from now on. I rather like it,` Sothis giggled.  
  
How frustrating.  
  
`Dima, we're calling her "Sothy" from now on,` Byleth called, irritably.  
  
`I...do not understand,` Dimitri replied. `Are you okay, beloved?`  
  
`Dorothea called me Bylie.`  
  
She heard a vibration of air that she guessed was supposed to be a snort.  
  
`I...apologize, beloved...` Dimitri managed, still laughing, `but that's adorable.`  
  
 _`You are not calling me Bylie,`_ she snapped.  
  
`Of course not, beloved. But it's still cute. Very Dorothea,` he said.  
  
Hmph.  
  
`If it's any recompense, beloved, you caught me in a conversation with Alois, and now he thinks I think he's hilarious.`  
  
Oh, she didn't wish that on _anyone._  
  
`That more than makes up for it, yes.`  
  
She shifted her focus back to what was happening around her.  
  
"How odd, though, Edelgard," Ferdinand was saying, "you gathered us here to introduce us to our new professor, and yet you only brought Lady Eisner."  
  
Hubert sighed. "Ferdinand, I know you're a complete simpleton, but even you should be able to figure out what that means."  
  
"Wait, you mean Bylie's our professor?" Dorothea asked.  
  
"That is exactly what that means," Edelgard replied. "Byleth will be our professor for the remainder of the year."  
  
"Oh no..." Bernadetta said, "She's gonna tell all of Prince Dimitri's friends about what a disgrace I am, and then the whole Kingdom's gonna hate meeeeeeeeee!"  
  
"I..." Byleth started, sighing. "I would never do that, Bernie."  
  
"How do you know that name?! Oh, I know! You're an assassin, come to kill me! Don't do it! I can shoot, y'know!"  
  
Bernadetta was...always particularly difficult.  
  
"Bernie, please, Bylie wouldn't do anything to you," Dorothea assuaged.  
  
"I'm not sure how proper calling our professor 'Bylie' is," Linhardt pointed out.

"Oh, hush, Lin. I'm sure Bylie's fine with any level of familiarity," Dorothea argued.  
  
"I agree, actually," Edelgard said. "She actually knew about her appointment almost as soon as she arrived at the monastery, so if she had any objections, she should've vocalized them then, _right, **Bylie?**_ "  
  
Oh, so _that's_ how this was gonna be, huh.  
  
"That's _exactly right, **Elly,**_ " Byleth responded, tone ice-cold.  
  
"I sense...wills, clashing," Petra observed.  
  
"When can I leaaave?" Bernadetta asked.  
  
"Why would you wanna leave?" Caspar responded. "The air in here is awesomely tense, like a fight's gonna break out at any moment. I want in."  
  
"I think that's her problem, Caspar." Linhardt said. "And that 'awesomely tense' air is disrupting my ability to sleep."  
  
"It is perhaps a good thing, then," Ferdinand pointed out. "You shouldn't be sleeping, right now."  
  
Byleth sighed. `I'd forgotten how difficult these kids could be.`  
  
`It is only for a year, beloved.` Dimitri reminded her.  
  
Right. Only a year.  
  
She could do this.

She couldn't do this.  
  
Perhaps counter-teasing her professor was a bad idea. She'd only be worse when Edelgard finally figured out who she liked. Still, Bylie was such a cute name. She wanted to use it.  
  
"My teacher..." she began.  
  
"Yes, Edelgard?" Byleth responded.  
  
"You extended a courtesy to me, earlier. With the nicknames. I...really do like the one Dorothea gave you, but...it wouldn't be right to not extend the same courtesy to you."  
  
"Of course, Edelgard. I...truth be told, will also need time for that name to grow on me. I feel that if you communicate that familiarity through that name, I could come to like it."  
  
"...and if you don't?"  
  
"I will tell you to stop using it. Simple," Byleth assured her.  
  
Byleth...she understood how she felt about her, now. She was like one of her older sisters, teasing, yet loving all the same.  
  
"I see," Edelgard said, smiling.  
  
"Have you...realized something, Lady Edelgard?" Hubert asked, as Byleth addressed the rest of the Eagles.  
  
"Just...my feelings on Byleth," she replied, before realizing how that sounded.  
  
"Not in that way," she corrected, blushing, "I could never rob Mitya of that happiness. Byleth reminds me of one of my older sisters...I can no longer recall which one, though."  
  
"Of course, Lady Edelgard," he said. "Thinking about it, she does rather remind me of Lady Gweniviere."  
  
Oh, Gwen, the one five years her senior. Yes, that's the one Byleth brought to mind.  
  
With that resolved, she listened to her professor, who was speaking of an upcoming mock battle. They always had one, to begin the year, she was told. Byleth was using her prior knowledge of the field to develop strategies involving each of the students, with variations for different line-ups.  
  
For all her initial misgivings, Byleth truly was an excellent tactician. Dimitri would be able to win most any battle, with her at his side. To say nothing of her ability to turn back time. Ambushes were all but useless in the face of such power.  
  
She must have this woman on her side. If not, if Edelgard opposed her, then there would be no victory.  
  
And that meant making compromises with the Church. With Rhea, no, Seiros.  
  
But...how much of what she was told by Thales was true?  
  
It wasn't something she'd ever thought about, but perhaps it should've been. Thales would have much to gain by lying about his greatest enemy. And though Byleth saw the same things in Rhea that she did...how much of the story did Edelgard truly have?  
  
Byleth claims to have seen two sides of history, one where she sided with the Empire, leading them to victory against the Church, and one where she sided with the Kingdom, raising her prince from madness to truly stand with the Kingdom against the Empire, emerging victorious.  
  
But, even with all that, Byleth doesn't have the full story. She doesn't know what happened during her birth, to give her a connection with the Goddess. She doesn't know the origin of Crests.  
  
And neither did Edelgard.  
  
If Edelgard was truly to side with the Church, then Rhea would have to explain to her what exactly she was hiding.  
  
Edelgard realized, then, that she didn't want a specific answer. She doesn't want Rhea to admit that she's a tyrant, as nice as that would be to hear.  
  
She just wants the truth.  
  
And that makes a world of difference.

Byleth dismissed the class, inviting them all to a lunch, later.

"My teacher?" Edelgard called out, after everyone but her, Byleth, and Hubert had left the room.  
  
"Yes, Edelgard?"  
  
"I have realized what I want out of the Church. Out of Rhea," Edelgard said, with conviction, "I want the truth, and nothing more. I want _everyone_ to have the truth, whatever that truth may be."  
  
"Of course, Edelgard. That is what I want, as well," Byleth replied. "I want to know the truth of my origin. Once I have that, I feel that I can truly walk forward."  
  
So...even Byleth harbored such doubts about herself? That was...simultaneously worrying, and encouraging.  
  
"But Elly," Byleth began, "what if the truth you seek is rather close to what Rhea says it is? Will you be able to accept that?"

"Bylie..." Edelgard responded, "I will accept the truth. No matter what it is. You know that Thales gave me a version of history that vastly opposes that of the Church at almost every turn. It was...perhaps naïve of me to not realize that he had the world to gain, by lying to me about his greatest enemy."  
  
"Thales' version of history _completely_ left out any mention of Relics or Crests. That surely cannot be a coincidence," Edelgard pointed out. "What are Crests and Relics? They are certainly not what Rhea and the Church say they are, but the fact that Thales refused to mention them implies to me that perhaps Those Who Slither In The Dark had something to do with them. Something nefarious."  
  
"Is Slither ever anything but nefarious?" Byleth asked.  
  
"Not in my experience, but...your experience encompasses all of mine, and goes further still. So you tell me," Edelgard responded.  
  
Byleth laughed at this. "No," she said, "no, they are not. Tell me, Elly, have you ever held a Relic?"  
  
"No," she admitted. "No, I have not. They are in rather short supply, in the Empire. Have you?"  
  
"A few," Byleth answered. "Areadbhar, Thunderbrand, the Lance of Ruin, Failnaught. Let me tell you something, Elly."  
  
"It might be my connection to Sothis, but...if I cleared my mind, while holding those Relics...I could hear the screams of something that once was."  
  
...What?  
  
"I know nothing else for certain about the Relics, except for this: _in every Relic, there is a soul, begging for the release of death._ "  
  
"And one day, I will find a way to grant it to them," Byleth concluded, leaving the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh shit Byleth has her own goals independent of "protecc frens"? What? That's absurd.
> 
> No it isn't. If you've finished VW or SS you know that the Relics are fucked up. I'm doing things with that, like it or not.


	8. Seeking Your Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Dimitri delivers even more news, Hubert gets the measure of Byleth, and Ferdinand walks in on something he shouldn't have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was...kinda weird to write, honestly. I'm having all these shifting perspectives and sometimes they happen at the same time, sometimes they come one after another, stuff like that. Like, the Dimitri POV in the next chapter happens at the same time as the Edelgard POV in this one. It probably makes more sense to read than to write. ...Probably. ...I can trust you guys to tell me if it doesn't, right?

As Felix left to seal the letter to his father and send it out, Dimitri went to the Blue Lions classroom, but not before running into Sir Alois.  
  
In the middle of some...truly terrible jokes that he was barely listening to in favor of a telepathic conversation with Byleth, his beloved mentioned a funny, but adorable name that Dorothea had given her.  
  
Dimitri couldn't help but burst out laughing.  
  
"Wait, Your Highness, you actually thought that joke was funny?" Alois asked.  
  
Drat. He had to come up with an explanation, and fast.  
  
"No, not at all! It's just...sometimes, a joke is so bad that it comes full circle back into hilarity," Dimitri offered as an explanation.  
  
"Hm. That's...not the effect I was going for. That settles it, the next time I make you laugh, I'm going to make you admit it was an actually good joke!" Alois declared.  
  
It was never Alois who made him laugh, but he couldn't explain that to the knight.  
  
Moving on, all of the Blue Lions (except Felix, of course) were in the classroom.  
  
"Your Highness!" Ingrid said, "You've arrived."  
  
"I have," Dimitri responded, "and like yesterday, I have an announcement to make."  
  
"Ooh! Does this have something to do with Miss Byleth?" Annette asked.  
  
Annette. Once Gustave started making his presence at the monastery known, he'd tell the knight to spend more time with his daughter. By the time they all came back for the Millennium Festival, that relationship was in shambles.  
  
Not that he cared, at the time.  
  
"No," he said, answering the mage's question, "this is a different matter. One that I want to stay somewhat quiet, for now. I was...disappointed, but not surprised by how quickly news of me and Byleth spread."  
  
At this, most of the room turned to look at Sylvain.  
  
"Hey, I had nothing to do with this one," the Gautier heir defended.  
  
"Sure you didn't," Ingrid said, clearly not believing him.  
  
"I actually believe him, Ingrid," Dimitri told his friend, "if you want to actually get angry at someone, I believe your prime suspect would be Claude. He was...very inquisitive about our relationship, on the trip back to the monastery."  
  
"That...makes sense, I suppose," Ashe said.  
  
"But if it's not about Byleth, what could this possibly be?" Mercedes asked.  
  
"It is a matter concerning me and Edelgard, and the Kingdom as a whole," Dimitri answered.  
  
"Very few people knew this, but my father took a second wife, after my birth mother died," Dimitri began, "and the woman in question was Edelgard's birth mother."  
  
"Wait, huh?" Annette said. "So Princess Edelgard is your sister by marriage?"  
  
"Correct," Dimitri said, "but that is not all. During the Insurrection of the Seven, Edelgard came to the Kingdom, and for a year, she and I were friends, unaware of eachother's relation and positions."  
  
"Hang on," Ingrid cut in, "why does this sound familiar?"  
  
"I know why," Sylvain responded, with a wide grin, "Mitya, are you telling us that _Dagger Girl_ , the one we've been giving you shit over for _years_ , is none other than Her Imperial Highness, Edelgard von Hresvelg?"  
  
"That is...exactly it, Sylvain," Dimitri answered, "again, I want this to stay among us for political reasons, until we both inherit our specific thrones. If it were to become public knowledge before then, it would become a _mess_."  
  
"I'm...not sure I entirely understand, Your Highness," Annette said, "I understand the political reasons for hiding it, but then, why tell us at all?"  
  
"Because I felt I could trust you all," Dimitri replied, "And I intend to use this year we have together to once again nurture the bond Edelgard and I have. We are...essentially the only living family we have left, even if it's only by marriage."  
  
"That in itself has political consequences, too, Your Highness," Sylvain said, "not to sound like my old man, but this is a pretty good opportunity to improve relations with the Empire as a whole. Especially since I overheard Hanneman make a comment about Byleth being the professor of the Black Eagles house."  
  
"That has crossed my mind as well, Sylvain, though it's far from my main reason for doing this."  
  
"Wait, Lady Byleth is to be a professor?" Ashe asked.  
  
"That is correct, Mr. Ubert," Professor Hanneman said, entering the room. "As Mr. Blaiddyd likely just said, Professor Eisner is to teach the Black Eagles house for the year, as the one who formerly held that position ran off during the scuffle with the bandits."  
  
"As such, some of my strategies for the mock battle need to be completely revised," Hanneman continued, "Mr. Blaiddyd, as the only one here to have witnessed Professor Eisner in combat, I will need your assistance. Although..." the scholar trailed off, looking around the room. "Where is Mr. Fraldarius?"  
  
"Right here," Felix called from the doorway, making his way to his seat. "Sorry for being late. I had an urgent letter to send to my father. Kingdom business."  
  
Both Sylvain and Ingrid looked confused at this, but Hanneman accepted the explanation. "Very well. Just make sure it doesn't happen again."  
  
Professor Hanneman turned to the blackboard.  
"As I was saying, the mock battle..."  
  
`Mild change of plans. We're telling Rhea about the Western Church's Bishop before lunch,` Byleth informed him.  
  
`Any particular reason, beloved?` Dimitri asked.  
  
`Kinda just wanna get it out of the way, honestly,` she answered.  
  
`Fair enough. Once that's done, the first actual incident should be...Miklan,` he recalled.  
  
Miklan. What to do about him. The man was a wretch, for certain. Not influenced by anything other than himself and his upbringing. The right play, to prevent the Conand Tower incident, was to inform Margrave Gautier...but how to go about that?  
  
`I'll have to get the Sword of the Creator, at some point, though I can do that whenever, thanks to my position as Primary Bishop.`  
  
`Perhaps we should use the conversation with Lady Rhea about the Western Church to get actual permission, for that,` Dimitri suggested. `I feel that just going down there and getting it without telling her wouldn't be received well.`  
  
`Yeah, you're probably right about that.`  
  
"Mr. Blaiddyd, please pay attention when I am speaking," Hanneman said, somewhat irritably.  
  
 _Drat._ It was so hard to pay attention to his surroundings, like this.  
  
"Yes, Professor."

"Professor." Hubert called after her, as she was leaving the classroom.  
  
"What is it, Hubert?" Byleth asked the man.  
  
"Forgive me for being so bold," Hubert began, sounding somewhat genuine, "but are you certain your concern over the souls you hear in the Relics is your own?"  
  
 _What the hell?!_ She remembered Hubert being blunt to the point of rudeness, but this was beyond even that.  
  
"Excuse me?!" Byleth practically spat.  
  
"Hubert, there is a such thing as tact, you know," Edelgard scolded her vassal.  
  
"My apologies. I am simply left to wonder how much influence Sothis has over you," Hubert explained.  
  
Oh, that's what this was about.  
  
"You have little to worry about," Byleth assured him. "It is Rhea who would seem to have ideas of Sothis subsuming my will. Sothis has, time and again, encouraged me to find and walk my own path. She is a dear friend, even if she is a rude little thing at times."  
  
`Pah! That "rude little thing" has saved your life on multiple occasions, you know!` Sothis shouted.  
  
"As for the matter of the Relics...does it even matter?" Byleth mused. "They are powerless souls, in need of assistance. What kind of person would I be if I did not try to help them?"  
  
"I suppose you have a point," Hubert conceded, before bowing. "Forgive me. I am...simply trying to get the measure of you as a person."  
  
What was he getting at? This was typical Hubert behavior, but that still didn't excuse him being rude.  
  
"At times, you seem average, living with joy in the moment," Hubert began. "Yet at others, it is clear that you are possessed of a keen tactical mind, and skilled in combat. In addition, you give matters of import the gravity they deserve, but do not blow things out of proportion."  
  
Oh.  
  
"It's simple, really," she told him. "It's called being smart and experienced enough to know when and how to have fun."  
  
Hubert narrowed his eyes at this. "I hate that explanation. Even more for the fact that it makes sense."  
  
"Oh, Hubert, you'll figure it out eventually," she teased him.  
  
"I should hope not," he said, obviously irritated, "Lady Edelgard's path will require me to shield her from much."  
  
"Only means you should figure out how to best use what little downtime you get," Byleth countered.  
  
"I agree, Hubert," Edelgard said, "There is sure to be more to your life than just work. Especially once I choose a successor."  
  
"Hypocrite," Byleth called.  
  
"I...yes..." Edelgard admitted, "I...also need to learn this..."  
  
"Good, because as your future stepsister-in-law, it is my duty to spend the next year teaching you exactly that. Since we, y'know, shouldn't have a big war to worry about."  
  
"Speaking of which, how should we deal with Thales and Solon?" Hubert asked.  
  
"Well, as for Thales, I was hoping I could convince Elly to just fucking kill him the next time they meet."  
  
"I...that's..." Edelgard tried, "I have...considered that, but the political problems killing the Regent would cause..."  
  
"Elly. The whole Church is with me," Byleth reminded her. "Any political problems, we can handle."  
  
"The Church is not trusted in the Empire," Hubert countered.  
  
"Well, we can fix that. Mostly by telling the Empire nobility exactly what Thales did," she said.  
  
"That would require the Prime Minister to have not been involved in that..." Edelgard muttered.  
  
"Ludwig von Aegir is a chickenshit," Byleth told them. "He'll cave to any actual threats. And Ferdinand, once we tell him, won't stand for his father's actions either."  
  
"What did my father do?" someone asked.  
  
Oh, _hell_.  
  
Well, they were going to have to tell him eventually.  
  
"Ferdinand!" Byleth cheered as she turned to him, with as much joy in her tone as she could manage, which was hardly any. "So nice of you to join us."  
  
"None of that, Lady Eisner. I asked a question, and I will have it answered," Ferdinand demanded, glaring.  
  
"This...will be difficult for you to hear, Ferdinand," Edelgard told him.  
  
"Not as difficult as you might think," the Aegir heir argued, "I know you and Hubert tire of hearing my ideas about how nobility should act, but do not think me under any illusions that my father adheres to those ideas."  
  
"In fact," he continued, "to be truthful, the man I wish to be is my father's complete opposite in all things except position. Learning of one more scandal will make little difference."  
  
"This is not just any scandal," Hubert warned, "These are things that have single-handedly affected the way the Empire as a whole has functioned for the past eight years."  
  
Ferdinand's eyes widened. "By that, you could only mean..."  
  
"The Insurrection of the Seven, yes," Edelgard finished.  
  
`Beloved, where are you? I've been by the staircase to the second floor for the past five minutes,` Dimitri asked.  
  
 _Shit._ She forgot.  
  
"This is a really bad conversation to walk out on, but I just remembered that there is something I need to discuss with Lady Rhea," Byleth said.  
  
Fear instantly erupted into Edelgard's eyes. Moving inconspicuously to Linhardt's desk, she double-tapped the location of the Western Church on the map of Fódlan. Hubert, at least, got the message, nodding, and whispered to Edelgard.  
  
"Don't do anything rash, you two," Byleth warned them, as she was leaving the room. "Table this discussion until I can continue it, if you have to."  
  
She hoped House Aegir still had a son, when she returned.

"What could the professor possibly have to discuss with the Archbishop?" Ferdinand pondered.  
  
Matters regarding the Western Church, apparently, but they couldn't tell him that.  
  
"Perhaps some kind of report on how the first day of class went," Hubert mused, "I don't know. But it hardly matters."  
  
Hubert drew a knife from his jacket. "How long were you listening?"  
  
Oh dear.  
  
Ferdinand's eyes grew wide. "I do believe the professor just told you−"  
  
 _"Answer the question."_ Hubert ordered, taking a step towards Ferdinand.  
  
"Not long," Ferdinand answered after a moment, "Caspar and Linhardt asked me to inform the professor that they would not be attending the lunch meeting. I came here first, believing that she might still be here."  
  
"I assure you, I did not intend to linger, but you must understand, when I heard mention of my father, I had to step in!"  
  
Hubert's eyes narrowed further, his grip on the dagger he held tighter. She had to put a stop to this, before Hubert did anything foolish.  
  
"Hubert. Enough," she ordered.  
  
"Very well, Lady Edelgard," he conceded, slipping the dagger back into his uniform.  
  
"Continuing the conversation from before," Edelgard began, "How much do you know of the Insurrection, Ferdinand?"  
  
"Not very much, I'm afraid," the Aegir heir answered, "I was young then, and what little information I got came from my father."  
  
"I scarcely feel the need to point out that your father is perhaps not the most reliable source of information on this matter," she told him, "considering he's the one who came up with the whole plot."  
  
"I realized that years ago, yes," Ferdinand responded.  
  
"The reasons behind the noble uprising itself are...defensible, perhaps," Edelgard admitted, "However..."  
  
"That does not excuse what came _after_." Edelgard said, darkly.  
  
"Of course. The deaths of the children of Hresvelg...I have suspected foul play for some time now," Ferdinand said.  
  
"Compared to the truth, foul play would have been _merciful_." Hubert said.  
  
She'd...have to explain _it_ , wouldn't she. To think, the first person (aside from Hubert) she told would be _Ferdinand_ , of all people.  
  
Her throat tightened up. That wouldn't do.  
  
She began to remove her jacket, then her gloves.  
  
"Huh? What are you−" Ferdinand spluttered.  
  
She moved onto her first shirt.  
  
"Lady Edelgard. Are you certain?" Hubert asked her.  
  
She stopped, for a moment. "It's...easier than...talking about it," she managed.  
  
"I see..." Hubert said.  
  
In her movements, Ferdinand might have been able to see a few of the scars. With her first shirt removed, she rolled up the sleeves on the second, all the way to the shoulder. His eyes widened at what he saw.  
  
"What...in the world...did my father do this?!"  
  
"Not specifically, though he had a hand in it," Edelgard answered, before shyly adding "I'm...going to put my shirt back on, now."  
  
"Of course! This was clearly painful for you to reveal," Ferdinand said. "You said foul play would've been merciful...what in the world happened?"  
  
"Allow me to begin by stating that the Regent is not who he once was," Hubert explained as she redressed herself. "Within a year of the Insurrection, Volkhard von Arundel had been replaced by a man by the name of Thales."  
  
"I had heard that his personality seemed to change, around that time...but he looks the same as he ever did!"  
  
"I do not know how they manage such a convincing change of appearance. What I do know is that Thales is the leader of an organization that despises the Church and it's leadership."  
  
"We call them Those Who Slither In The Dark," Edelgard said, now fully dressed, "and three years after the Insurrection, Thales led me and my siblings beneath the palace, and...performed vile experiments in attempts to give one of us a second Crest."  
  
"A...second Crest...?" Ferdinand managed, through his apparent shock. "Hold on, before that. Why did no one attempt to stop this?"  
  
"Because Thales and your father spread the lie that was happening was merely an illness," Hubert responded, "because Ludwig von Aegir is a greedy wretch who cannot control his lust for power."  
  
"My father...knew about these people...and did nothing?" Ferdinand asked, crestfallen.  
  
"He was likely promised a high position in the Empire that was to come," Edelgard explained, "Thales had plans for me. He still does, but I refuse to follow them any longer. I was to come here and perform acts of espionage, and find a way into a crucible known as the Holy Tomb, which lies somewhere within this monastery."  
  
"Afterwards, I was to take the throne, and conquer all of Fódlan, in the name of wiping out the Church. I, of course, have no intentions of doing this, now that Byleth, Dimitri, the Archbishop, and now you, are aware of this."  
  
"I see..." Ferdinand said, seeming contemplative, before staring at her, with a fire in his eyes.  
  
"Lady Edelgard. My goal, in life, has always been to serve the Empire as Prime Minister. In recent years, as I matured and became aware of my father's behaviors, the wish to restore House Aegir's honor by righting my father's wrongs was encompassed by this goal."  
  
"What I have learned today...only adds to this work," he said.  
  
"I swear to you, as Ferdinand von Aegir, I will always stand by you. I will confront my father with this information. Should you wish it, I will fight against Those Who Slither In The Dark. So long as I draw breath, my lance is yours to command!" Ferdinand declared, kneeling.  
  
As expected of Ferdinand, this was an overly dramatic gesture. But...she appreciated it, all the same.  
  
"I thank you, Ferdinand," Edelgard said, "knowing that I have another person I can trust like that...means the world to me."  
  
"Well, I see this conversation went better than I was afraid it would," Byleth observed.  
  
"Lady Eisner! And...Prince Dimitri?" Ferdinand asked, standing up. "...Hang on. Edelgard, you mentioned that Prince Dimitri knew much of what you just told me. How does he..."  
  
"Dimitri is my brother by marriage," Edelgard explained.  
  
"That...I cannot even begin to wrap my head around the potential implications of that," he said, shaking his head.  
  
"It is rather simple, actually," Dimitri said, "Edelgard's birth mother left for Kingdom and married my father."  
  
"Yep, that simple," Byleth added, at Ferdinand's dumbfounded expression. "Now let's go get lunch."  
  
"Oh! Right!" Ferdinand startled. "Professor, Caspar and Linhardt asked me to tell you that they won't be at the lunch meeting."  
  
"Huh. Okay," the woman shrugged.  
  
Her professor led them all to the dining hall, and away from darker memories.  
  
"Did anything serious happen, Elly? Aside from Ferdie here proclaiming his undying loyalty, of course," Byleth asked.  
  
"I...told Ferdinand about...that," Edelgard answered.  
  
Her teacher was simply elated by this, and moved to embrace her.  
  
"I'm so proud of you, Elly. I know that couldn't have been easy," she said.  
  
This embrace...so warm.  
  
"Thank you, Bylie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Dorogard will come in full force, next chapter. Get fucking ready.


	9. A Crimson Flower, Blooming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth and Dimitri have a conversation with Rhea, attend lunch with (some of) the Eagles at which they tell the most beautiful lie in Födlan's history, and Edelgard has a conversation with Dorothea.
> 
> It's Dorogard time, baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm rereading Chapter 1 at this point and I'm like "Wow! This is garbage!" But I can't delete the chapter because it's important.
> 
> The problems of the first step. Always terrible, but always important. Oh well.

Dimitri waited by the staircase, after calling to Byleth.  
  
`Sorry, I was just discussing the potential consequences for removing Thales. Volkhard is still Regent, so we can't just off him and be done with it,` she explained.  
  
`Of course. But, it's not like you to forget stuff like this,` Dimitri pointed out.  
  
`You're right, it's not,` Byleth said, climbing the stairs to meet him, `but Ferdinand walked in on the conversation.`  
  
Oh no.  
  
`As I was shit-talking his dad.`  
  
_Oh no._  
  
`Who's a _complete asshole,_ by the way.`  
  
`I...gathered that, yes,` he offered, as they were granted entrance to the Audience Chamber.  
  
`Ferdie's a good man, who, even at this point, seems aware of his father's more unsavory business, and doesn't like it, but I'm not sure how he'll take this right now...` Byleth worried.  
  
"Lady Rhea," Dimitri called, "we have something to report."  
  
"Three things, actually," Byleth corrected. "One: Dimitri can now communicate with Sothis, giving him telepathic capabilities with both me and her."  
  
"That...hm..." the Archbishop replied, "I did not think that possible, but you surely would not lie about such things...and Prince Dimitri's situation is peculiar enough that it could enter the realm of possibility..." she mused.  
  
Hm. Dimitri...wasn't sure he liked how Lady Rhea phrased that.  
  
"Two: We have secured Edelgard's cooperation. She still wants some societal changes, and still regards you as a person somewhat suspicious, but has removed war and cooperation with Those Who Slither from the table as options."  
  
"I see. That is good news," Rhea responded, "I am, of course, not exactly pleased to hear that she still distrusts me, but to expect those sentiments to be gone in only a day's time is admittedly unreasonable."  
  
"And three: as a sign of this cooperation, they answered a query we had. The Western Church's Bishop has been replaced by a Slither operative. Given my knowledge of future events, I _highly_ recommend immediate action."  
  
"Of course, child," Rhea responded, "but, I must ask...what such events do you speak of?"  
  
"An attack on the Holy Mausoleum. Later, another, at the Rhodos Coast," Dimitri answered, "but I must admit, our reasons for encouraging such immediate action are not so simple as just wishing that these sacred places not be defiled."  
  
"Those particular places..." Seteth began, aghast, "Yes, that is _surely_ them. Rhea, it seems our worst fears have been confirmed."  
  
"Yes...it would seem that the Agarthans walk the world once more," Rhea agreed.  
  
`Agarthans? Is that what these two know Slither as?` Dimitri asked.  
  
`Kinda has to be,` Byleth answered, `though I've never heard them called that, myself.`  
  
"We shall explain what Agartha is in time, children," Rhea addressed them, "for now, you mentioned other reasons?"  
  
"We did, yes," Byleth began, "In two moons time, the Western Church will encourage Lord Lonato of Gaspard to rebel against the Church, using his grief for his late son, Christophe. He will die a _fruitless_ death, little more than a vessel through which the Church is distracted for their attack on the Mausoleum on the day of the Rite of Rebirth."  
  
"In addition to concern for the region's stability," Dimitri explained, "Ashe, of the Blue Lions, is Lonato's adoptive son. In order to bolster his army, which will be meager, compared to the Knights, Lonato will enlist militia, and...due to him growing up in the region, Ashe will know many of them..."  
  
"Ashe once told me," he continued, his voice growing louder, "after I confessed my feelings on the Tragedy, that the way I feel about that day is the way he felt about that _farce_ of a battle! If there's _anything_ I can do, to spare a friend that torment, I−" his throat tightened, cutting him off.  
  
Byleth was upon him in an instant. "It's okay, Dima...we won't let it happen."  
  
"Indeed, we will not," Seteth agreed. "The idea that someone so high in the Church could be one of them...it is troubling, to say the least."  
  
"It does not matter," Rhea said, "they will be dealt with. Is there anything else, children?"

"Just one thing," Byleth replied, "as a result of my connection to Sothis, I have the ability to wield the Sword of the Creator. I understand that my position as Primary Bishop grants me access to the Holy Mausoleum, but Dimitri pointed out to me that simply going down there and taking the sword perhaps wouldn't be received very well by you."  
  
"I would...certainly require an explanation, yes," Rhea admitted, "you have my permission to retrieve the sword at any moment, though I ask that you treat it with the gravity it deserves."  
  
"The...gravity it deserves..." Byleth repeated, "Rhea, that brings me to another point. I...do not know what Crests and Relics truly are, just that they are almost certainly not what Church doctrine says they are. Nor do I know the full truth of my birth, and of my mother."  
  
"Edelgard and I agree on one thing, Rhea..." Byleth continued. "You keep far too many secrets. I can only hope that one day, you will find it in yourself to trust us with them."  
  
"I...see..." Rhea managed. "There is much to be done. Please, leave me to it."  
  
"Of course, Lady Rhea," Dimitri said, leaving the chamber with Byleth.  
  
`Was it a good idea to confront her, like that?` Dimitri asked.  
  
`Maybe. Maybe not,` Byleth answered, `but we should make sure Ferdinand's still alive.`  
  
Ah. Byleth did leave him in a difficult situation, he supposed.  
  
Returning with her to the Black Eagles classroom, he saw the man in question kneeling before Edelgard.  
  
`Swearing fealty to the Imperial Throne. I must say, I didn't expect this from him,` Sothis observed.  
  
A moment later, they were leaving the classroom. Learning that Edelgard trusted Ferdinand, of all people, with what Thales did to her before him hurt, but he supposed the circumstances called for it.  
  
"By the way, Ferdinand," Dimitri began, "the fact that Edelgard and I are siblings by marriage is to remain quiet."  
  
"Of course, Prince Dimitri. As the heir to House Aegir, I know full well the consequences that knowledge could have if it became public," Ferdinand responded.  
  
"Thank you," Dimitri said, "not just for that, but for your other actions today, as well. El has yet to tell even me what Thales did to her. She has a very hard time trusting people...the fact that she has even one more person she can trust like that means more than you know."  
  
"I realize what an honor it is," the ginger replied, "that she can look past what my father did to her and her family to trust me at all, let alone with things like this. I will find a way to repay that."  
  
"I have a couple ideas," Hubert said, as they reached the dining hall, "but they will have to wait until we are not in such...mixed company."  
  
"Will you be joining us for lunch, Prince Dimitri?" Ferdinand asked.  
  
"I couldn't possibly intrude on a class meeting..." Dimitri argued.  
  
"It is fine, Mitya," Edelgard countered, "besides, I have yet to tell them about you."  
  
"I am not certain telling Miss Arnault is a good idea..." Hubert muttered.  
  
"It'll be fine," Byleth insisted, "C'mon, Dima."  
  
"If you all insist," Dimitri relented.

Maybe bringing Dimitri along to the lunch meeting was a bad idea, Byleth realized belatedly. Dorothea kept giving the two of them _looks_ , and Bernadetta was scared out of her wits.  
  
At least Petra was being relatively normal. "Garreg Mach is having much more coldness than Brigid," she was saying, "but I am told that the Kingdom is having even more. Is this factual?"  
  
"It is," Dimitri answered, "in Gautier, it's not uncommon to have blizzards as late as the Harpstring Moon."  
  
"Wow," Bernadetta said, "I can't even imagine living somewhere that cold. Varley territory is so warm that we rarely even see snow, let alone blizzards. Ah−not that I think your homeland is bad, Your Highness, it's just−"  
  
"Breathe, Bernie. Breathe," Dorothea said, calming the girl.  
  
"For a moment, I mourned that Caspar and Linhardt would not be here," Ferdinand mused, "but now, it seems that things are much calmer for it."  
  
"Indeed," Hubert agreed, "Caspar during mealtimes is...the less said, the better."  
  
"Perhaps," Edelgard said, "but, I do believe this meeting is a time for us to learn more about our professor."  
  
"Which means," Dorothea chimed in, "it is high time we get the story of how Bylie and His Highness met. Spill, you two."  
  
_Shit._ She should've expected this, what with Dorothea being the person she is. Should've come up with a cover story.  
  
`Sothis, broadcast my thought process to Dimitri. He'll need to be in on this.`  
  
`Fine, I suppose I'll cover for you,` the green-haired girl said.  
  
"It was about 4 and a half years ago," she began, "Papa and I were on a job in the Kingdom. His Majesty, the late King Lambert, was the employer, so we were on the castle grounds. I was given permission to roam around the gardens."  
  
"I...saw a cat, and ended up chasing it. The person who caught it was actually Dima here," she said, putting an arm around her love's shoulder.  
  
"Byleth explained to me that she was a mercenary, and...by the time our fathers found us, I had convinced her to spar with me for a few minutes," Dimitri picked up, "Sir Jeralt had some protests, mostly related to the propriety of fighting the Crown Prince, but Father and I brushed them off."  
  
"Hmm. I did not take Sir Jeralt for someone who cares for such things..." Hubert muttered.  
  
"At any rate, I picked up a training lance, she picked up a training sword, we entered fighting stances, and ten seconds later I found myself unarmed," Dimitri said, grinning, "Byleth and Sir Jeralt stayed for a fortnight, following the job, in which she served as my combat instructor."  
  
"Hardly the most romantic circumstances, but to each their own, I suppose," Edelgard sighed.  
  
"Surely, this tale doesn't end there," Ferdinand pointed out, "I find it hard to believe that such things could lead to the bond I see before my eyes."  
  
"Quite right, Ferdinand. A year after Duscur, we were once again employed to fight against a rebellion in the Kingdom," Byleth continued, "Dimitri, still lost in his grief, was extremely reckless in that battle. This is the origin of the way Felix treats Dimitri, as he served directly under Dimitri's command, then."  
  
"Treated," Dimitri corrected, "since coming to the Academy, he has seen how I have changed. How Byleth has helped me."  
  
"That's...I'm really happy to hear that, Dima," Byleth said, before continuing. "As Dimitri said, I helped him, after this. I rather insisted on returning to Fhirdiad with him, and we spent a month together, in which he told me many things, regarding the Tragedy. I shall not repeat them, but...there was much. In the end, the last thing we told each other of was our love, and an agreement to exchange correspondence until Dimitri became King, and we could officially court."  
  
"How...lovely..." Bernadetta sobbed.  
  
"Indeed. A tale worthy of the stage," Dorothea agreed.  
  
`Well, they took that well,` Byleth said.  
  
`Indeed. Mercifully, I wasn't talking to Sylvain or Ingrid during the time you were supposedly in Fhirdiad after the rebellion,` Dimitri responded, `and Dedue and Felix will agree with any story we put forward.`

"It would seem that you've started courting early," Ferdinand pointed out, "after all, if what I see here is not courting, I do not know what is."  
  
"Well, me becoming a professor at the academy Dima was attending certainly wasn't part of the plan three years ago," Byleth told him, "so plans changed. Honestly, it'd be weird to try to pretend we aren't together, since we're in the same place for a year."  
  
"I agree," Edelgard said, "So you've started a year early. What does that matter, in the face of your happiness? Honestly, Mitya, I'm extremely jealous."  
  
"Hmm. Edie, can I talk to you?" Dorothea asked.  
  
_Oh?_  
  
`Dorothea is usually a bit more subtle than this, no?` Dimitri observed.  
  
`Usually, yes. This could be about anything, though,` Byleth pointed out.  
  
`I suppose it could...` Dimitri said, `Honestly, it's probably got more to do with what she called me.`  
  
`I'll be the judge of that,` Sothis declared. `The little empress is terrible at subtlety. If anything happens in that area, we'll know.`  
  
"Of course, Dorothea," Edelgard answered.  
  
As the two stepped away from the table, Byleth threw Hubert a knowing smile. It was returned.  
  
Petra noticed. "Are you two sharing secret knowledge?"  
  
"I am hardly keen to share my secrets with just anyone," Hubert answered, "but suffice it to say that I have had to consider viewing Miss Arnault and her interactions with Lady Edelgard in a different light, lately."  
  
"Hubert! You don't mean..." Ferdinand trailed off.  
  
"Yep. We believe Elly has a crush on Dottie," Byleth confirmed.  
  
"Good...if that's true, it means Father won't hurt Dorothea if I talk to her," Bernadetta said.  
  
"Only if Miss Arnault returns those feelings," Hubert argued, "if not, and she breaks my lady's heart, Count Varley won't be the only person Dorothea has to worry about."  
  
"I don't think Her Highness would appreciate that, Hubert," Ferdinand countered, "I understand the sentiment, but I'm certain that Lady Edelgard would prefer that Dorothea lived, even if they cannot be together."  
  
"You are speaking more respectfully, of Edelgard," Petra observed. "Why?'  
  
"I have learned much, today," Ferdinand offered as an answer. "Things that have made me reconsider the way I act and treat Her Highness. If I am to be a worthy Prime Minister during her rule, I have to offer ideas that might challenge her point of view, but not her authority. This is merely an extension of that idea."  
  
"A worthwhile compromise, from how you were acting before," Hubert conceded, "though I suppose your role in her Empire will be different from mine. Perhaps acting as I do would in itself be odd."  
  
"Perhaps," Byleth agreed, "but for now, I'm more interested in what Dottie's role in Elly's Empire will be. Let's observe, shall we?"  
  
"I do not condone any spying on Lady Edelgard," Hubert warned, "not even from you, Miss Eisner."  
  
"Who said anything about spying?" Byleth asked.

"What did you intend to talk about, Dorothea?" Edelgard asked, as they stopped at the small balcony outside the dining hall.  
  
"A couple things, Edie," the songstress answered. "First off, what's with the name you called Prince Dimitri?"  
  
"It's a...childhood nickname of his," Edelgard explained, "it is what I called him, long ago."  
  
"Long ago?" Dorothea repeated. "What do you mean?"  
  
"During the Insurrection of the Seven, I was taken to the Kingdom. To Fhirdiad," Edelgard began, "during this time, I met Dimitri, and for a year, we were friends."  
  
"And now, you've reunited. Fates are aligning in all sorts of ways, it seems," Dorothea observed. "That's why I have such high hopes for my time here."  
  
"Your...time here?" Edelgard repeated.  
  
"Yes, Edie," Dorothea answered. "Were you not aware? I'm not just here to make something of myself. Mostly, I'm here to find a husband that will support me after my beauty fades."  
  
"Oh..." A husband. Something in Edelgard wilted. "I had thought...a skilled mage like yourself, had perhaps come for higher education."  
  
"Edie, you flatterer." Dorothea teased. "Did I ever tell you why I started learning magic?"   
  
"No, you had not..."  
  
Why did Dorothea saying she was here for a husband bother her? It made sense. Opera stars live and die by their looks and voice. Wanting financial support for after those things faded was reasonable.  
  
"Well, it was about 3 years ago," Dorothea began. "A noble I was on a date with fancied himself a talented mage. Said he could cast Bolganone in his sleep."  
  
"Typical. I believe I know just the man you're talking about," Edelgard said, recalling a blonde head of hair and sideburns. "Let me guess, blonde, rude, and thought magic was a noble birthright?"  
  
"That's exactly right, Edie," Dorothea answered, "You know, before I joined the opera, I used fire spells to light garbage bins to keep warm in the winter. It wasn't much, but it was enough."  
  
"So, after that date, I figured I'd start seriously studying magic out of spite. I had plenty of money with which to buy tomes. And Manuela was a good teacher, when it came to the beginner stuff."  
  
"And, you know, though I had a noble pay my tuition to get me in here, it was those skills that got me through the entrance exam. So, it wasn't a waste of time," Dorothea finished.  
  
"None of your efforts are a waste of time, Dorothea. Not one," Edelgard argued.  
  
She wasn't sure why she said that, honestly. Just...something about Dorothea being upset at herself made her sad, and angry.  
  
"Oh, Edie..." Dorothea sighed. "I suppose you're wondering what the second thing I wanted to talk about was."  
  
"I am, yes." To be honest, she had practically forgotten that there was another topic.  
  
"Well, it's just that you're so jealous of Bylie's relationship," Dorothea explained, "and I get why, she's really happy. It's just...I didn't figure you for the type to be interested in romance."  
  
"I wasn't, until recently," Edelgard admitted. "I suppose seeing Bylie and Mitya so happy together opened my eyes as to what it could be like. Unfortunately, I'll probably never have anything like that."  
  
"Why not?" Dorothea asked.  
  
"Because I'm−" _a disfigured monster_ "−the next Emperor. I'll probably end up being forced into a political marriage, with no time for love."  
  
"Edie, you don't get it," Dorothea said, "You're the next Emperor. You can have whoever you want."  
  
That required them to want her, in return.  
  
"And you'll be meeting a lot of people, this year. One day, you might feel a spark and before you know it, you'll be as happily in love as Bylie."  
  
That...would never happen. She would only have her heart broken.  
  
"Who knows, something might even blossom between the two of us!"  
  
For some reason, Edelgard blushed madly at this.  
  
"The...two of us...?" Edelgard managed. "But...you said you wanted a husband..."  
  
"Oh, I'd be fine with a wife, too. Honestly, I'd prefer one," Dorothea responded.  
  
The thing that wilted earlier came back to life, twice as strong.

"Wait, Edie," Dorothea said, finally seeming to notice her reaction, "Are you seriously thinking about that? With me?"  
  
"I...suppose I am, yes..." Edelgard managed.  
  
Byleth's comments about the person she loved being closer than she thought. Hubert, saying that telling her who he suspected that person was would be dangerous to their cause.  
  
Sothis above, she was a _fool._  
  
"I think I...have feelings for you, Dorothea."  
  
"But...why me? Like I said, you could have anyone you wanted. Why would you pick the one who's only valuable traits are sure to fade?"  
  
"Your beauty and voice are worthless in comparison to the person behind them, Dorothea. I see the genuine care with which you treat your friends. You can calm down _Bernadetta,_ for Goddess' sake. Not to mention the strength of will it takes, to leave behind a career to find new strength."  
  
"Oh, Edie. You think too much of me," Dorothea denied.  
  
"I do not. I am willing to accept that I am wrong on a number of things, Dorothea, but this is not one of them," Edelgard argued, "and it would...mean the world to me if you would continue to spend time...with me," she finished, flustered once more.  
  
"Well...I suppose it's worth a shot," Dorothea conceded. "Tea, after class tomorrow?"  
  
"Sounds lovely," she said, still blushing.  
  
They returned to the dining hall, and Byleth _immediately_ noticed the new closeness between the two of them.  
  
"Knew it!" Byleth shouted. Dimitri nodded. "See, El? Worthy." Hubert immediately approached them. "A word, Miss Arnault."  
  
"Hubert," she warned, too much joy in her voice to sound truly threatening.  
  
"...I suppose it shall wait."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Ferdinand was mercifully silent, though a smile was on his face.  
  
Perhaps Dimitri was right, and she was worthy of this joy.  
  
Only time would tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Academy Phase Dorogard Town, population: me, apparently.
> 
> Also I decided to write Ferdinand this way because let's be honest: Academy Phase Ferdinand is kind of an ass! But War Phase Ferdinand isn't! So I made this sort-of CF War Phase Ferdie. Hope you enjoy him.


	10. A Golden Wind, Stirring The Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Claude and Hilda bite off more than they can chew. Or rather, Claude bites off more than he can chew and Hilda's along for the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sorta noticed that Claude's basically done nothing since Chapter 5 aside from maybe spread a bit of gossip, and a whole lot of shit's happened since Chapter 5. If I kept going like this, it was going to seem like Claude was just letting this happen around him and that is just not Mr. von Riegan.
> 
> So now this chapter exists. It's Claude POV. Enjoy.
> 
> Also holy shit 1000 hits nice thanks guys.

Something was _happening_. The Archbishop was out of sorts. Seteth too. Teach and His Princeliness were making all kinds of moves. Princess and Hubert were doing similar things, and seeming to work with the aforementioned pair. Ferdinand, formerly their greatest critic, was seemingly in on it, and working with them.  
  
And Claude von Riegan was gonna get to the bottom of all of it.  
  
"Are you sure about this, Claude?" Hilda asked. "This seems more than a little out of our depth."  
  
"I'm certain, Hilda," he answered. "The biggest voices in the future Kingdom, Church, and Empire are all caught up in something. Something big's about to go down. You really think I'm gonna sit back and watch it happen around me?"  
  
"I get that, Claude. You wouldn't be you if you didn't poke your way into things you weren't invited to," Hilda responded, "but I'm worried. This seems like a lot of work, and to be honest, I'm not sure that this is something we even wanna get caught up in."  
  
She didn't get it, did she? If he was to achieve his goals, he had to make himself heard. This was a damn good time for it.  
  
Heh. That must be his Leicester blood talking. The Roundtable functioned the same way.  
  
"It's something I have to get caught up in, Hilda. If you wanna back out, now's the time."  
  
"No way, Claude. If you're in this, I am too."  
  
To think his greatest ally would be a Goneril. Ironic.  
  
Would she still say that if she knew? Or would she be like the others?  
  
No way to know, for now.  
  
"Good. Because we're taking this right to the source."  
  
"The source?"  
  
"Yep. This all started when Teach showed up. Let's see what she has to say, shall we?"  
  
He knocked on the woman's door.  
  
"Wait, Claude, this is kinda bold−"  
  
Sure was, but he couldn't take back his decision. Not when the woman of the hour opened the door.  
  
"Claude." Byleth said. "And...you must be Hilda."  
  
"Funny you say that, Teach. I don't believe anyone's ever mentioned Hilda to you."  
  
"I'm a teacher at the Officer's Academy, Claude. I was given a full roster, one that included the students of the other houses."  
  
Nothing. Guess that one was kinda weak. The explanation made sense, too.  
  
"At any rate, what can I do for you two?" Byleth asked.  
  
Time to be _really_ bold, then.  
  
"Well, you could start by explaining what the hell's going on."  
  
"There's a lot going on lately, Claude. You'll have to be a little more specific," Byleth evaded, a fake smile on her face.  
  
A pitiful attempt.  
  
"We'll start from the beginning, then. The Dimitri I knew two days ago and the Dimitri who walks the monastery now are practically two different people. That change happened the morning we met you."  
  
"I'm not answering any of your questions, Claude. Not until you answer one of mine."  
  
Ah, so she _did_ know something.  
  
"Ask away."  
  
"Oh, I couldn't do that. Not without giving you a chance to send Hilda away first."  
  
This woman was too sharp. Two days. One conversation. How the hell did she−  
  
"As if I'd leave at this point," Hilda said.  
  
"Unfortunate. For Claude, that is. I'll just go ahead and ask: what is your connection to Nader the Undefeated?"  
  
How the **_fuck−_**  
  
"Claude?" Hilda managed in a small voice.  
  
"Answer the question, Claude, and I'll answer every single one of yours with all I know of the full truth."  
  
That was an offer all too tempting, considering all this woman was.  
  
"Alright, you got me, I'm from Almyra."  
  
He looked at Hilda for a reaction. Nothing much. Still shocked, it seems.  
  
"You good, Hilda?"  
  
"I just...wish you'd told me..." Hilda said.  
  
"Don't hold it against him, Hilda. You of all people should know how the Alliance would take that news."  
  
"...right. It...doesn't change who you are...being born in one place or another. You're still Claude von Riegan."  
  
Byleth smiled softly. "It's good to see that you're trying, at least. Let's head inside." She turned to go back into her room, and Claude and Hilda followed.

"As you may have imagined, I figured out that you're Almyran some time ago," Byleth began, "but here's the thing, Claude. In a, say, theoretical invasion of Derdriu, you'd have to be more than just _any_ Almyran to call in the Almyran Navy, headed by Nader the Undefeated, to help defend the place."  
  
What...the...fuck?  
  
Wait.  
  
Dimitri's seeming precognition.  
  
"Dimitri...saw the bandit attack coming. Can you two...see the future?" Claude managed.  
  
"You're starting to get it now," Byleth half-confirmed, "but you still have yet to answer my question. Who are you, Claude?"  
  
"Oh no, you're gonna have to give me more than just answers for that one."  
  
Byleth's eyes narrowed.  
  
"It's nothing much, really. I just want your word that whatever it is you're doing doesn't interfere with my goals."  
  
She relaxed.  
  
"Well, while I'm fairly certain whatever you have in mind doesn't rely on a war engulfing all of Fódlan," both he and Hilda flinched at that, "the simple truth is that I have no idea what those goals are. In fact, Claude, you're one of the very few people in this monastery who I don't know at all."  
  
Very few.  
  
Huh.  
  
Bit odd that she claims to know most everyone here when she's only been here for two days, but he'd get back to that.  
  
"Alright, Teach. Answers for answers. First off: I'm the Almyran Crown Prince. My mother is Tiana von Riegan. That explain it for ya?"  
  
"It does, yes. Hilda, are you okay?"  
  
"I mean, it's kinda just whatever, right now. Guess it hasn't set in yet," Hilda answered. "But, Claude, it looks like I was right, and we're in way out of our depth. Or at least I am."  
  
"Yeah, probably should've listened to ya. Didn't mean for you to find out this way. Or this early."  
  
"So you were going to tell me eventually?" Hilda asked, seemingly surprised.  
  
"Of course. You're my closest friend in Fódlan. If there was anyone I thought I would be able to eventually tell, it was you."  
  
"That means a lot, Claude. Really," Hilda said, hugging him. He returned it.  
  
"Alright, my turn to ask a question. Teach, what are you?"  
  
"I'm...not entirely certain, on that. I don't know everything. What I do know is that Rhea did something to me when I was born, and that gave me a connection to Sothis."  
  
"Sothis. As in, the goddess of Fódlan," Claude said.  
  
"Yep, that Sothis."  
  
"...Okay."  
  
"Goddess, this just gets crazier and crazier, huh," Hilda muttered.  
  
"Afraid so, Hilda. Now then, Claude, what are your goals?"  
  
Suppose he should've expected that one.  
  
"It's a long story, Teach, but the short version is that Fódlanites think Almyrans are barbaric, Almyrans think Fódlanites are cowards, and no one's talking to each other to see that the other side's just as human as they are. I'm here to fix that."  
  
"I see. Well, now that you've said that, I can confirm that no, none of what I intend to do interferes with that goal. In fact, I may be able to help."  
  
That's...suspicious.  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Well, I'll have you know that Rhea intends to make me the next Archbishop. I intend to use that station to change how the Church handles several things, with an example being the hiding and censorship of information regarding the Church. I had not considered the way the Church encourages foreign policy to be one of the things I would change, but plans can be adjusted."  
  
"You talk a big game, Teach, but if you can back it up, I'd be happy to have your help on this."  
  
"Yeah, um...as a member of House Goneril, I'm sure I can help, too. I can talk to my brother about stuff," Hilda offered.  
  
Hilda...meant well, but she clearly didn't have a clue as to how to go about this.  
  
Byleth noticed this, too. "Honestly, Hilda, the best way you can help right now is to just keep being Claude's friend."  
  
"Yeah. I guess that's less work, too."  
  
"Thanks, Hilda."  
  
Time for the million G question.  
  
"How can you see the future?"  
  
"Well, the real answer to that question, Claude, is that I can't."  
  
"Bullshit," both he and Hilda said at the same time. "Nice," Hilda said, "but seriously, Professor, do you expect us to believe that?"

"Yes, because it's true. I can't see the future. I have simply lived it and returned to the past."  
  
"What's the difference?" Hilda asked.  
  
"A lot, actually. If I could see into the future, I'd know everything, everyone. I know I've been busy, the past couple days, but I'm actually out of moves to make, for now. All I can do now is see where the moves I've already made end up going, and act accordingly."  
  
"Hm. So let me see if I've got this right by using a game of chess as a metaphor. You play a game of chess for 20 turns. You turn back time to the first turn. You now know exactly what moves the opponent will make, and can adjust yours accordingly, but your opponent can still adapt their moves to your new ones, and you don't know when or in what ways they might do so."  
  
"Correct. But my knowledge extends to two completely different versions of the next six years, and unlike chess, I don't have to wait for my opponent to make their next move before I make mine, so I can effectively remove a vast array of my opponent's options before they can even react."  
  
"So it's less like an ordinary game of chess and more like a game where the opponent starts with half their pieces missing and yours in completely random, but advantageous, places," Hilda said, smiling.  
  
"That sounds about right to me," Claude replied, "but then who is your opponent, Teach?"  
  
"An organization known as Those Who Slither In The Dark," Byleth answered, "though Rhea and Seteth seem to know them as 'the Agarthans'. I'd never heard that name before today."  
  
"Huh. Okay," Claude said. "Not super sure how to react to that one. Who else is in the know on all this?"  
  
"Dimitri alone knows almost everything I do," Byleth responded, "though Rhea and Seteth have about 70% of the story, Dedue and Felix have half, and Edelgard and Hubert started out knowing significant amounts."  
  
"Why did Edie and Hubie start out knowing 'significant amounts'?" Hilda asked, tiredly.  
  
"Because, Hilda, they were initially sent here to perform espionage on the Church for the Agarthans. I have since convinced them to reconsider."  
  
"Why did they do that?" Claude said, in the same tone Hilda had used to ask her question.  
  
"That is not my story to tell, but suffice it to say that they did not have much of a choice," Byleth answered, then glared at him. "That doesn't mean you can go bug Elly for the answer, Claude. She'll tell you eventually. Just give her time."  
  
Hm. Weird, but everyone keeps secrets.  
  
"You sure she wouldn't agree to a little session of answers-for-answers?"  
  
"She might, but she has an _extremely_ hard time talking about that in particular."  
  
Oh. So it's _that_ sort of thing.  
  
"Yeah, there are certain kinds of subjects I've learned not to pry at. Traumas, some people call them. This sounds like that."  
  
"It is. Thank you for understanding, Claude."  
  
"New question, Teach, what exactly is it you're hoping for by doing all this?"  
  
"And you mentioned two different versions of the next six years−what exactly did you do differently?" Hilda asked.  
  
"The two questions intersect. If I do nothing, then in ten months, Edelgard, threatened by the Agarthans, will start a war on the Church and it's allies. The first time, I sided with the Empire, because Rhea was being suspicious at best and extremely fucking creepy at worst. We won, but Dimitri died and his death just hit me differently, for reasons I couldn't explain, and also I died at the same time Rhea did for reasons probably related to what she did to me at birth."  
  
"That's messed up," Hilda offered, "you won, but you literally couldn't enjoy it."  
  
"Yeah, well, it was a fine opportunity to turn time back to the start, make a choice that would have me aligned with the Kingdom in the war, find out that I'm in love with Dimitri. The war starts, we win, but then like 3 weeks later I was like 'Huh. That was stupid. What if I go back and prevent the war from starting in the first place?' So I did that and apparently me and Dimitri were so in love that he got to remember all of it."

"Nice," Claude said, "nothing like a continental war to get romances going."  
  
"I know, right?" Byleth smirked. "Anyway, I'm mostly just doing this because I don't want any of my friends to die. Or Papa. Papa usually dies a couple months before the war starts and I'll be damned if I let it happen again."  
  
Huh.  
  
That felt like everything, somehow.  
  
"Well, I'll admit that this is way more than I was expecting," Claude said, "but I suppose me and Hilda can now call ourselves members of the weird secret time-travel information club you've got going."  
  
"A badge I'll wear with pride. Secretly," Hilda responded.  
  
"About that, you two," Byleth said.  
  
Uh oh.  
  
"Can I actually trust you to keep your mouths shut about this? Because so far, survey says no."  
  
Oh, okay.  
  
"Y'know, Teach, I think I've set a precedent by now for knowing how to keep a secret or two."  
  
"You have, yes, but Hilda, on the other hand..."  
  
Couldn't disagree there...but, y'know...  
  
"Hey, Teach, if I can trust her to keep the Almyra thing quiet, which I am, then I think you can trust her with your weird time-travel stuff."  
  
"...I guess, yeah. But I want to hear it from her."  
  
"I'll keep quiet. But, in return, I want an invite to the royal wedding."  
  
Both he and Byleth snorted.  
  
"Yes...I suppose that can be arranged," Byleth said.  
  
"Never change, Hilda," Claude said.  
  
"Don't intend on it," Hilda replied.

"You two have a lot to talk about, I think," Byleth said. "I'll leave you to it."

She left the room.

"Huh," Hilda said, "You know, this is her room. I feel like leaving two people to talk doesn't involve leaving them in your own bedroom."

"Teach sure is a weird one," he agreed.

"Well, since I'm in here, I'm going through her closet. See if she's got any good outfits that I can ask her about."

Hang on.

"Hilda, I'm not real sure that's the best idea."

"...Neither am I, now that I've got the thing open. She's got like, 3 outfits. I mean, this weird version of the Academy uniform would probably look cute, but like...goddess, this is the closet of the woman Prince Dimitri is in love with, huh."

"Dima's a weird one too."

"I'm taking her out shopping this weekend."

"Yeah, I saw that coming."

Hilda shut the disappointing closet.

"So um...crown prince of Almyra, huh," Hilda said.

He wished they were still talking about Teach's closet.

"Well, yeah," Claude tried to lighten the mood, "that's part of why I find my nicknames for the other two house leaders so funny. They think they're such big shots cuz they're a prince and princess, well, jokes on them, I'm a prince too."

...It didn't seem to work.

"Hey, Hilda?"

"Yeah, Claude?"

"We're still friends, right?"

"Of course, Claude."

...

"Khalid."

"Huh?"

"Khalid. That's what they called me, back home."

"Khalid al-Kadir."

"I'm...kinda surprised you know the surname."

"Well, when a name shows up on enough papers, you memorize it."

"Yeah, guess so."

...

"Hey, Claude?"

"Yeah, Hilda?"

"Did you mean it? When you said I was your closest friend in Fódlan, I mean."

"Yeah. I mean, I've got a few people who know, and I can really count on. Gramps, Judith. But I wouldn't call any of them friends. Not like I would with you."

"Yeah. I appreciate that, Claude."

...

"Y'know, I told you my name so you could use it."

"I...didn't think I should..."

"I mean, you shouldn't just use it anywhere. But when it's just you and me, or even you, me, and Teach, yeah, it's fine."

"You would...really let me?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Thank you...Khalid."

"Any time, Hilda."

...

"Hey, Khalid?"

"Yeah, Hilda?"

"Did you...intend to stay, in Fódlan?"

"I intended to stay for however long it took to achieve my goal on this side. Or at least, get it set up. After that, I'd go back home, and continue the work there as King."

"That...makes sense, I suppose."

...

"Would you like to hear about Almyra? Like, the cities?"

"I would, yeah."

"The capital, Kishaya, it's kinda like...well, have you ever been to Fhirdiad?"

"Once. I was...pretty young, though. Don't remember much, aside from it being real cold."

"Well, it won't serve as a good reference point, then. Kishaya's a fair bit warmer than even Derdriu. But, I'm sure Teach or Dima or any of the Lions could tell you about it's architecture."

"Is it similar to Kishaya's, then?"

"Yeah. But it's kinda weird, since it's also a port town, like Derdriu."

"...Huh."

"Yeah, it's a bit of a wacky place to grow up in."

...

"Hey, Khalid?"

"Yeah, Hilda?"

"You know how you said you were gonna leave Fódlan, after a while?"

"Yeah."

"Well, what if the person you fell in love with lived here?"

"Well, I imagine I'd be able to convince them to come back home with me."

"Yeah, I guess you'd have to, huh."

...

"Hey, Hilda?"

"Yeah, Khalid?"

"Any...particular reason you asked that question?"

"Well, I mean...I do want you to be happy, Khalid. No matter where you are."

"Thanks, Hilda. Means a lot."

...

"Hey, Khalid?"

"Yeah, Hilda?"

"What if I told you that I'd be willing to go to Almyra with you?"

"Well, I'd imagine that your brother would have a few problems with that."

"...to hell with my brother."

"Huh?"

"My brother doesn't dictate my life. Who I fall in love with. Where they take me."

...

"Hey, Hilda?"

"Yeah, Khalid?"

"Are you saying you've fallen in love with me?"

"I suppose I am."

"Hm."

...

"Hey, Khalid?"

"Yeah, Hilda?"

"You wouldn't happen to...reciprocate those feelings, would you?"

"Yeah...yeah, I think I do."

"That's...lovely."

...

"Hey, Hilda?"

"Yeah, Khalid?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Khalid."

"We should...probably get out of Teach's room."

"Yeah. Wouldn't want folks making assumptions."

As they left the room, they found Byleth standing right outside.

"...Shove it, Teach."

The woman simply closed her eyes and smiled, walking into her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so let's recap.
> 
> Byleth knows:  
> -Everything in CF and AM, and has an idea on the things revealed near the end of VW/SS
> 
> Byleth does NOT know:  
> -The full truth of Crests, Relics, or her birth  
> -The location of Shambhala  
> -The fact that Shambhala even exists
> 
> This is the baseline for all other information.
> 
> Dimitri knows:  
> -Everything except the specifics of the experiments done on Elly  
> -Has no Crest/Relic suspicions  
> -Has some suspicions on Byleth's birth
> 
> Jeralt knows:  
> -Enough to know that he's in way over his head and is kinda just going with the flow
> 
> Rhea and Seteth know:  
> -Literally everything except the fact that Byleth once sided with Edelgard and the events of that particular war  
> -The truth of Crests/Relics  
> -The truth of Byleth's birth (Once Rhea-specific, has since been explained to Seteth)
> 
> Dedue and Felix know:  
> -About the entirety of Azure Moon and TWSITD  
> -No Crest/Relic/Byleth suspicions
> 
> Edelgard and Hubert know:  
> -That TWSITD are going to get fucked whether they help or not  
> -That they literally cannot win a war against Byleth and that Byleth will never side with them in a war they start  
> -Has some Crest/Relic/Byleth suspicions
> 
> Ferdinand knows:  
> -Edelgard's background and about TWSITD
> 
> Ferdinand does NOT know:  
> -That Byleth has time powers  
> -Literally any future events aside from the existence of the war itself and the Holy Tomb attack
> 
> Claude and Hilda know:  
> -That you can just scroll up and reread the chapter if you need to  
> -That this Hilclaude was completely unprompted, unplanned, and not even in the original edit


	11. Teatime Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorothea has tea with Edelgard, and then learns a great many things from a great many people, leading to the official creation of the "Secret Time-Travel Information Club".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dorothea POV time. If anyone thought Dorothea WASN'T gonna be part of the time-travel knowledge group, they're kinda dumb, tbh.

"I'd like to thank you once again for your time, Dorothea."  
  
"Don't mention it, Edie."  
  
Dorothea had come to the Officer's Academy to find Manuela, then find a spouse who would support her.  
  
She never thought the Imperial Princess might give her a chance, but fate works in strange ways.  
  
"Mmm. Bergamot. You've got good taste, Edie."  
  
"Oh, thank you. I was...worried you might not like it."  
  
Bergamot wasn't her _favorite_ blend, that goes to the Sweet-Apple and Albinean Berry Blends, but Bergamot wasn't bad.  
  
"So tell me, Edie, what do you think of Bylie?"  
  
"She...reminds me of my older sister, Gwen."  
  
Gweniviere. 6th in line.  
  
"How so?"  
  
"She's...teasing, yet loving all the same. Having Byleth, if only for a little while, is like having her back again..." Edie had a wistful look in her eyes.  
  
Hmm. She'd need to redirect the conversation, and fast.  
  
"What was Dima like, as a kid?"  
  
"I...truth be told, Dorothea, I do not remember. I did not remember him at all until he reminded me..."  
  
Oh. Oh dear.  
  
She didn't know what to say to that at all.  
  
"Well, I'm...glad he reminded you. You seem much happier for it, lately."  
  
That would work.  
  
"Yes. I believe myself happier for it, too. Mitya has shown me a new path in life to walk, a brighter one."  
  
"Was...the old one that bad?"  
  
"Very. It was...a dark and lonely one. One that I could not bear to put anyone else through."  
  
"I...would like to think I could've brightened it a bit, Edie."  
  
"You would have, yes. But...to put you through that with me, would...it would have ruined you, Dorothea. It would ruin anyone. Even me."  
  
"And yet, you would've walked it anyway."  
  
"I would've had to."  
  
"Well, you don't have to anymore. You've got me, Bylie, Dima, Hubie, and all our other classmates too."  
  
"Indeed. You all help me...so much. It is...a wonder how I am found worthy of all this."  
  
Worthy.  
  
Dima said something like that, too.  
  
"You know, you may not remember him, but you and Dima talk in similar ways."  
  
"...do we?"  
  
"Yeah. Dima said something about you being "worthy", yesterday, after we came back."  
  
"Oh, that was a reference to a conversation we'd had prior. One where I had expressed envy over his relationship, and he said that if he was worthy of the joy of love, then surely I was, too."  
  
"I see. For what it's worth, I agree with him. Obviously, or I wouldn't be doing this. But, what could you possibly think denies you that joy?"  
  
"...The same sort of thing he thought denied it to him."  
  
Huh?  
  
"You remember how Byleth said he was lost in grief over the Tragedy, until she helped him? I, too, was lost in that same sort of grief until recently."  
  
"So...that's why you thought yourself resigned to that lonely path."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Hm.  
  
"Bylie and Mitya are such strong, shining people. That they find it in themselves to show me a path alongside theirs is a testament to this."  
  
"You...kinda sound like Hubie right now, Edie."  
  
"Well, it's a similar sort of appreciation."  
  
"I'm gonna be honest, Edie, the Kingdom is pretty different. It's not like the Empire is now, and it's not like an Empire I'd want to live in."  
  
"Good. Because Dimitri will change the Kingdom, just as Byleth will change the Church, and I will change the Empire."  
  
Hmmmm.  
  
"You say that, Edie, and I think, based on what I know of you, that your Empire won't have such a focus on the nobility, correct?"  
  
"Correct. The Empire I create will allow people to rise and fall by their own merits. Ferdinand has some ideas to facilitate this, for example, public and free education. The tuition for this place is nothing short of obscene."  
  
"Wow...I didn't think Ferdie of all people would be fine with an Empire without nobility."  
  
"You should...perhaps give Ferdinand a little more credit, Dorothea. Yes, he is noble-born and raised. Yes, it does show. But he is hard-working, intelligent, and skilled. I could do away with House Aegir's right to the position of Prime Minister tomorrow, and his only response would be working hard enough for me to give it right back to him."  
  
Huh. "I thought he annoyed you, Edie. What with all those challenges, and whatnot."  
  
"Yes, well, he has since sworn off that behavior. He instead challenges me with ideas that might change my worldview. Ideas like public education, to use that as an example again."  
  
"Well, I suppose he does treat you differently, now. And it is a fine idea. If...if I'd had that, then..."  
  
"Yes. Stories like yours would become a thing of the past."  
  
Hmmm...  
  
"You said earlier that Bylie would change the Church. Queen of Faerghus is certainly an influential position, but...not much of anything in the Church."  
  
"Oh, um...well, this is to remain a secret, but Byleth is Primary Bishop. A position that exists almost solely for ascendance to Archbishop."  
  
"...Can you be Archbishop and Queen of Faerghus at the same time?"  
  
"There's nothing disallowing it, to my knowledge, and Byleth surely would've told me if there was."  
  
"I'm...not real sure about that, Edie. It is just her and Dima's business."  
  
"Well, then allow me to put it this way. Lady Rhea, knowing of that relationship and exactly where it's going, made Byleth Primary Bishop."  
  
"Well, Edie, I hardly need to point out to you that Lady Rhea makes _many_ questionable decisions."  
  
"...Quite right. I'll float the idea to Byleth later."  
  
"The good news is that I don't think Lady Rhea's allowed to dodge questions like that. Even if she is, I've heard that she's got an odd bit of favoritism for her, so Bylie should get a straight answer."  
  
"I suppose."  
  
The tea had long since run cold.  
  
This wasn't...quite what she had in mind, but it was still a good time.  
  
"Hey, Edie?"  
  
"Yes, Dorothea?"  
  
"Did you enjoy this time?"  
  
"I did, yes."  
  
"I did too. Same time in two days?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
Later, she found Bylie in the classroom.  
  
"Hey, Bylie?"  
  
"Yeah, Dottie?"  
  
"I wonder, are Archbishops allowed to marry?"  
  
"...Elly told you, huh."  
  
"Just that you're the next Archbishop, I promise."  
  
"That's fine. To answer your question, just because Rhea hasn't married, doesn't mean she can't. She just doesn't want to."  
  
"I'm...sure Lady Rhea's not the only person to have held the position."  
  
"Oh, Dottie...you'd be surprised by how long some people live."  
  
"...What do you mean?"  
  
"Oh, just a bit of courtyard gossip. I heard Alois mention that he's aged at least three times as much as my father in the past 20 years."  
  
"What are you getting at, Bylie?"  
  
"I'm saying, Dottie, that Papa might be a good source of information on unnaturally long lifespans."  
  
"I suppose I'll go talk to Sir Jeralt then. But first...how old are you?"  
  
"Twenty. My precise date of birth is the 20th day of the Horsebow Moon, Imperial Year 1159. But, I'm just about the only Church official who would give you a straight answer if you asked when they were born."  
  
Hmm.  
  
She exited the room, walked a short distance away...and heard the sound of warp magic coming from the classroom.  
  
She quietly moved, and pressed her ear to the wall.  
  
"Are you attempting to radicalize Miss Arnault?" A dark voice asked.  
  
Hubie. Couldn't be much of anyone else.  
  
"Do you not approve?" Byleth responded.  
  
"It's...a somewhat risky play."  
  
"You and I both know that unnaturally long lifespans are just the beginning of the Church's mess, Bertie. I'm just encouraging Dottie to do a little digging. Besides, you'll protect her for Elly if she goes digging in the wrong places, won't you?"  
  
"There is...little I can do at this point to protect her from the Immaculate One."  
  
"Oh, please, Bertie. She's not so stupid as to ask Rhea herself. And if she did piss Rhea off enough that she'd transform in the middle of Garreg Mach with everyone here, I'd know, and rewind time to warn her off. Assuming she's not, y'know, listening into this conversation. Warp magic's real loud, y'know, and you only waited a few short seconds after she left the room!"  
  
"...I shall learn from this error. For now, Miss Arnault, if you are listening in, do please reveal yourself."  
  
Well, since he asked so nicely.  
  
"What do you mean by 'rewind time', Bylie?"

"Don't you think it odd that Rhea made me Primary Bishop within half an hour of meeting me?"  
  
"That doesn't answer my question, Bylie."  
  
"Humor me, Dottie. It'll make the answer to your question make way more sense than if I gave it to you now."  
  
"Fine. Yes, that is weird."  
  
"Don't you think it odd that Papa suddenly left the Knights of Seiros twenty years ago? A timeframe that just so happens to coincide with my age?"  
  
"...Rhea did something to you."  
  
"Bingo. Told you she was sharp, Bertie."  
  
"Point taken."  
  
"But what could Rhea have possibly done to you to give you the ability to rewind time?"  
  
"Nothing. I don't have that ability."  
  
"Then what−"  
  
"But that doesn't mean someone else can't use it for me."  
  
"Get to the point, Miss Eisner."  
  
"Bertie. What have I said about letting me have fun?"  
  
Hubie hissed out a sigh.  
  
"Anyway, Dottie, Rhea did something to me when I was born to give me a connection to the goddess Sothis. No, I'm not going to be any more specific or explain that, because I don't know how. You'd have to ask Rhea. Though, as you overheard me and Bertie discussing, I really wouldn't recommend that for a number of reasons. There's not a whole lot we can do about a giant fucking superdragon who I can't kill without immediately dying myself."  
  
"WAIT," Hubert shouted.  
  
"What, Bertie?"  
  
"You failed to mention that last detail previously."  
  
"Hm. Suppose I did."  
  
"Are you...serious, Bylie? If Rhea dies, you die too?"  
  
"Unfortunately," Byleth answered.  
  
"Lady Edelgard and Prince Dimitri need to be informed of this _immediately_."  
  
"Dima already knows. But, I'm not sure what informing Elly would do. Killing Rhea is already off the table for you two, all that would do is kick it to the wall."  
  
"What do you mean, already off the table?"  
  
"Bertie. You're joking, right?"  
  
"Seiros is dangerous as she is."  
  
 _Seiros?_  
  
"Dunno about that. After me and Dima won, I became Archbishop and Rhea just kinda fucked off to Zanado and minded her own business."  
  
"...I suppose I could accept that outcome."  
  
"Hang on. Seiros? Saint Seiros? When did she become part of the conversation?"  
  
"Oh, about a thousand years ago when she became Archbishop," Byleth said.  
  
"So you mean−"  
  
"Yeah, Rhea is Seiros. Always has been. It also means that the Church also serves as the world's most holy ego stroker."  
  
"Bylie, how long have you known all this?"  
  
"Oh, only a few days, really."  
  
"...No. That's not possible."  
  
"Sure it is. It's the exact same kind of possible that means I'm 20 years old with 32 years of memories and have attended my 21st birthday party twice."  
  
"Saying you have 32 years of memories when you were asleep for 9 and a half of them is cheating, beloved."  
  
"No it isn't, Dima."  
  
"Then tell me why Gustave had to explain the full events of the war up to that point to you."  
  
"Semantics," Byleth argued, grinning.  
  
These two lovebirds.  
  
"Also, hi, Elly, your girlfriend knows a lot now."  
  
"Yes, I...gathered that," Edelgard said.  
  
"Oh...hi, Edie," Dorothea greeted, half-heartedly.  
  
"I was going to tell you everything in time, Thea, I just..." Edelgard trailed off.  
  
"Forgive me, Lady Edelgard. It was my error that led to this," Hubert bowed. "Also, Miss Eisner has revealed that killing Seiros will end her life as well."  
  
"That...that's definitely something I'd have liked to know, Bylie," Edelgard said.  
  
"I as well, beloved. How could you hide something like that from me?" Dimitri asked.  
  
"I'm...sorry, Dima, I thought I told you..." Byleth offered, sadly.  
  
Dimitri moved to embrace Byleth. "It's okay," he said while holding her.  
  
"Anyway, Edelgard, I know we're in agreement that Rhea cannot stay in power. Thankfully, I have seen an outcome in which she doesn't, but also doesn't die. At the end of the war, me and Dima found Rhea, and she immediately named me Archbishop and then left for Zanado. She kinda just minded her own business after that. Hope that's good enough for you," Byleth said.  
  
"It is, yes." Edelgard replied. "I do not wish Seiros dead unless it is absolutely necessary."

"And it never will be, with Bylie's time powers," Dorothea added.  
  
"One can only hope," Byleth said. "Anyway now that most of the secret time-travel information club is here, I need to inform you all that Claude and Hilda also know many things."  
  
"You're joking," Edelgard said.  
  
"Afraid not. But, Claude's got his own set of goals, and I have his word that he'll keep his mouth shut in exchange for me helping with them."  
  
"And those goals would be?" Hubert asked.  
  
"Oh, just the improvement of Fódlan-Almyra relations, which'll be well within the scope of my capabilities once I become Archbishop. It'll actually be pretty easy, I won't have to adjust my Duscur model much at all."  
  
"I'd like to remind you that the Duscur model is untested, beloved."  
  
"Oh, it would've worked, and you know it."  
  
"Yes, but the difference between Duscur and Almyra is that Almyra is an Alliance territory issue, not a Kingdom one."  
  
"And you really think Archduke Claude von Riegan wouldn't back me up when he's the one who gave me the idea in the first place?"  
  
"The Roundtable is _different_ , Byleth."  
  
"And Gloucester and Edmund would cave to the authority of the Archbishop!"  
  
"Enough!" Edelgard shouted. "You two are arguing about politics when half the figures in question aren't even in power yet!"  
  
"...Quite right," Dimitri conceded.  
  
"You know, you two are so lovey-dovey all the time, I honestly hadn't thought you capable of a shouting match like that," Dorothea observed.  
  
"The curses of a strong-willed couple," Byleth said.  
  
"Who also happen to be the effective heirs of two of the four power seats in Fódlan," Dimitri added.  
  
"...Last I checked, Archbishop is not a hereditary position," Dorothea said.  
  
"No, you see, Miss Arnault, that would require it to have ever changed hands," Hubert pointed out, humor in his voice, "and Seiros does seem to think Miss Eisner family."  
  
"For better or worse," Byleth said, "though if you can find me a single hereditary position in the entire world that's passed from daughter to mother consistently I'd be impressed."  
  
"...What?" Edelgard asked.  
  
"Sothis is Seiros' mother. Apparently. And Rhea fails to see me as anything other than Sothis. Which sucks, because I'm not her, I've just got her in my brain," Byleth explained.  
  
"At any rate, what was Miss Goneril's price for silence?"  
  
Oh, right, Hilda knew things too.  
  
"You're all going to find this both impossible and yet all-too-easy to believe."  
  
"Of course we are," Edelgard muttered.  
  
"She wanted an invite to the royal wedding."  
  
A collective sigh echoed in the room.  
  
"She was more than likely to get one anyway..." Edelgard sighed.  
  
"Perhaps it should get 'lost in transit' out of spite?" Hubert suggested.  
  
"I'm afraid Galatea's messenger pegasi are far too good for that excuse," Dimitri argued.  
  
"Then just don't send it," Dorothea countered.  
  
"Unfortunately, I don't think I can avoid sending Claude an invite, and the way things are going, his invite is her invite," Byleth said.  
  
Well, that's new gossip.  
  
"Wait, huh?" Edelgard managed.  
  
"Yep, the Crown Prince of Almyra and a daughter of Goneril, a romance for the ages," Byleth responded.  
  
"Another detail you failed to mention," Hubert pointed out.  
  
"It's not super important to us and our goals at Garreg Mach, so yeah," Byleth argued.  
  
"I personally disagree. Knowing that Almyran royalty is here is something we could use," Edelgard said.  
  
"No more than you could use the fact that he's heir to House Riegan. Claude's a little too sharp to let you use him for anything complicated," Byleth countered.  
  
"Aw, thanks, Teach. I've gotta ask, though, why are you telling everyone my business?"  
  
"Oh, did I not tell you? Rule one of being in the secret time travel information club: no secrets allowed unless they're traumatic. Which means Dima gets to not talk about Duscur if he doesn't want to and Elly gets to not talk about the thing if she doesn't want to. They also get to stop other people from talking about those things."  
  
"Well, good thing my biggest secret is that I could bench-press Dima if I tried," Hilda said.

"Felix's biggest secret is that he's actually a big fuckin' softie, deep down, so he's pretty safe too," Byleth pointed out.  
  
"And Dedue...oddly doesn't really have secrets," Dimitri added.  
  
"What about Lady Rhea and Seteth?" Dorothea asked.  
  
"Rhea and Seteth aren't members. They get to know about our plans, but that's it until Rhea comes clean," Byleth said, "seriously, Rhea knows things even I don't know, and I know all y'all's business now."  
  
"The Archbishop holds the answers to two very important questions: What are Crests and Relics, and what is the nature of what occured at Miss Eisner's birth," Hubert explained, "until she answers those two questions, she is on a strictly need-to-know basis when it comes to information shared here."  
  
"Unfortunately, that 'need-to-know basis' included the thing Elly _really_ doesn't want to talk about. Sorry, Elly, but I had to tell her so she wouldn't murder you for even _considering_ working with the Agarthans."  
  
"I...understand..." Edelgard managed.  
  
"Is it...really that bad, Edie?" Dorothea asked.  
  
"It is, yes...I know that you, of all people, should know, Thea, but...forgive me. I cannot speak of it."  
  
"And yet, you told Ferdinand," Dimitri pointed out, "I understand that the situation called for it, but...it hurts, El, knowing that you trusted him, of all people, before me."  
  
Wait, she told Ferdie? Ferdie knows?  
  
"I know...I know, Mitya, I just can't..."  
  
"That's enough, Dima," Byleth said, "she'll tell you when she's ready, and not a moment sooner. Unless, of course, Elly has changed her mind on letting me tell you."  
  
"I...it might be best, at this point..." Edelgard responded, in a small voice.  
  
"Are you certain?" Byleth asked.  
  
"Yes. Yes, he needs to know. Thea does too, but...I'm telling her myself." Edelgard said.  
  
"Alright, then," Byleth said, seeming to...pointedly zone out in Dimitri's direction?  
  
"What's she doing?" Hilda asked.  
  
"Allow me to explain. What Seiros did to Miss Eisner at birth gives her telepathic capabilities with the being known as Sothis, who now exists within Miss Eisner. Apparently, after she and Prince Dimitri won the war against the Empire, the bond between the two had grown so deep that when Miss Eisner returned to the past, Prince Dimitri was given this connection as well, giving him telepathic capabilities with Sothis and therefore Miss Eisner, since communicating with one without the other would be quite difficult," Hubert explained.  
  
"Edie, Dima said you told Ferdie. Is that why Ferdie's treating you differently, now?" Dorothea asked.  
  
"Yes, though it's mostly the fact that his father was involved." Edelgard answered.  
  
"Wait, so is Ferdinand a member of the time club too?" Claude asked.  
  
"No, Ferdinand is just Lady Edelgard's ally, for now, which is enough," Hubert said, "he is aware that an attack on the Holy Tomb and a war were in the plans at one point, but beyond that, he has no awareness of any future events, or that Miss Eisner even has an awareness of the future at all."  
  
 _"That **devil,"**_ Dimitri suddenly growled, _"Edelgard, either you kill him or I do."_  
  
"I'll be doing it," Edelgard told him, resolute, "in exchange, you get sole rights on Bias."  
  
"Who's Bias?" Hilda asked.  
  
"Another Agarthan. Fódlan knows her as Cornelia Arnim," Byleth asked, "and she is the mind behind the Tragedy of Duscur."  
  
"Oh! Right! For those who are unaware, Edelgard is my stepsister," Dimitri informed them, "her mother came to the Kingdom and married my father. Bias once implied that Patricia had a hand in Duscur, but the evidence pointed towards her just having prior knowledge of the plot."  
  
"My mother's name was Anselma," Edelgard corrected.  
  
Hm.  
  
"Right, I'm gonna assume I'm supposed to keep my mouth shut about the Crown Prince of Faerghus and the Imperial Princess technically being siblings," Claude said.  
  
"It'd be nice, yeah." Byleth responded. "That's also the only other thing Ferdinand knows."

"You know, I've gotta say, this club we've got here is kinda nice," Claude said. "In this place, the boundaries between people fall away, and everyone's equal. Like a microcosm of my dream."  
  
"And...what is your dream, Kha−Claude? Sorry," Hilda asked.  
  
"Nah, it's fine in here, Hilda," he assured her. "Hey, everyone, as you all know, I'm from Almyra, and my name back home was Khalid. It's fine to use it in here, but not much of anywhere else."  
  
"Oh, okay," Byleth said.  
  
"My dream is a Fódlan where all peoples are accepted and equal. Almyra, Brigid, Duscur, Dagda, Sreng, Morfis, Albinea...hell, even folks like Lady Rhea can join in if they want."  
  
"A glorious dream," Dimitri responded, "and one adjacent to my own."  
  
"Mine as well," Edelgard added, "my focus was less on nationalities and more on wealth disparity and such, but the two go hand-in-hand."  
  
"They do," Claude agreed.  
  
Byleth closed her eyes and smiled. "And this room is where those dreams start. The three nations of Fódlan, walking forward to the future, together..."  
  
The world is bright, tonight.  
  
Dorothea can only hope that she shines bright enough to be worthy of these dreams.  
  
"Hey, Edie?"  
  
"Yes, Thea?"  
  
"How do you feel about Albinean Berry Blend?"  
  
"It's not one of my favorites, but if you like it..."  
  
"Thanks, Edie."  
  
"Anytime, Thea."  
  
But with Edie, shining bright is easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love how I basically wrote
> 
> Byleth: hey Dorothea some people live for a really long time ain't that weird? go ask my dad about it
> 
> Dorothea: k
> 
> Hubert: *warps in* hi what are you doing
> 
> Byleth: alright *throws subtlety out the window*
> 
> Next chapter will be the mock battle. Which means I have to write actual fucking combat. Fuck.


	12. The Mocking Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mock battle happens, and Rhea finally opens up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear, this chapter is Claude POV, then Byleth, then Seteth.
> 
> Also, there's some potentially triggering stuff in the form of Rhea being a fucking creep to Byleth at the start of the Seteth POV section.

A week passed without much incident. Dorothea and Edelgard went on two more dates, and Felix and Dedue were brought more into the fold. But now, it was time for the mock battle.  
  
"C'mon, Claude, it's not like you to be so down in the dumps," Hilda said.  
  
"Yeah, you're usually right, it's just...we don't have a chance, Hilda." Claude complained. "Our opponents are Teach and Dima. Time nonsense aside, these are the two tactical minds that won the war against the Empire. Maybe in five years, I'm a little sharper than I am now, but as it stands, we're fucked."  
  
"I mean, if it helps at all, I talked to Dima and he's not feeling too good about his chances either," Hilda offered.  
  
"That's only a testament to how good Teach is at this," Claude argued, then threw up his hands. "Fuck it. I'm overthinking this. Let's just get in there and go."  
  
"That's the spirit," Byleth agreed.  
  
"Oh, hey, Teach," Claude greeted, "Princess, Dima. Tell me, how fucked are we?"  
  
"Dunno," Byleth answered, "depends on a couple things. If all the Deer and all the Lions rush down my class at the same time, you might come out on top. Which is why I'll be rushing down the Deer first, then flanking the Lions once that's done."  
  
"You are... _literally_ telling them our plan," Edelgard observed.  
  
"They stand no chance, otherwise," Byleth argued.  
  
"We stand no chance as is, beloved," Dimitri countered. "The Lions start much too far back to coordinate a joint effort with the Deer. They would have to pull a _complete_ retreat in order to do so, and I'm not even sure it's legal to coordinate between classes anyway!"  
  
"Exactly!" Byleth agreed, a wide grin on her face. "Well, I've gotta go! Elly, Bertie, Lin, Bernie, let's go!"  
  
"Okay, Bylie."  
  
"Acknowledged."  
  
"Aw, I was hoping to sleep more..."  
  
"Um...okay!"  
  
"...Your girlfriend's fuckin' scary, Dima," Claude said.  
  
"When I heard that Byleth was to teach the Black Eagles, I immediately gave up any hope of victory in inter-house contests. Now you see why," Dimitri responded.  
  
"...At least the Battle of the Eagle and Lion should go better?" Hilda tried.  
  
"I doubt it. Byleth's plan then was to get the entire class up on the hill to protect Ashe on the ballista, and then spread out to deal with the remainder of both classes. Bernadetta's an even better shot than he is, and I won't have Flayn to work with."  
  
"...Fuck," Claude sighed.  
  
"Yes, that is the long and short of it," Dimitri agreed.  
  
For better or worse, the mock battle started exactly as Byleth planned.  
  
"Teach, are you certain you didn't cheat?"  
  
"Didn't use Divine Pulse once."  
  
"No, I mean, like, my kind of cheating."  
  
"I'm above that, Claude."  
  
"Of course you are."  
  
Well, it's not like he expected to win.

Now that she had taken care of the Deer, it was time to deal with the Lions.  
  
"Dima pulled Ashe back, rather than sending him in. That's not his usual play," Byleth hummed.  
  
"Maybe if you hadn't told him exactly what our plan was," Hubert muttered.  
  
"No, see, Hubert, I did this exact same plan with him. There's every chance he remembered it and would've changed his as a result," Byleth argued.  
  
"Perhaps," Edelgard said.  
  
"Well, regardless, it's a 5 against 5 scenario, just like against the Deer," Linhardt said, "let's hurry up and finish this so I can take a nap."  
  
The problem with that comparison is that most of the Deer were spread out in pairs, and Dimitri and the Lions had formed up in an x-shaped pattern.  
  
"We're not moving until you do, beloved," Dimitri called.  
  
"Oh no, petnames during a battle," Bernadetta squeaked, "that usually means extreme confidence."  
  
"Confidence is not always well-placed," Hubert argued, sending out a Miasma Delta towards Dimitri, only for Mercedes to move in and absorb it.  
  
Hm.  
  
"Bernie, shoot Mercedes."  
  
"Okay!"  
  
The shot was blocked by Dedue.  
  
_Hm._  
  
"So what happens if you or Edelgard go out there and try to deal with this?" Linhardt asked.  
  
"We get shot by Ashe, probably," Edelgard answered.  
  
_**Hm.**_  
  
"This is a lot better than Felix would give you credit for, Dima," she yelled.  
  
"Thank you!"  
  
Lovely man. She couldn't stop her smile.  
  
"Well, Ashe can't hit us both, Elly, let's go," Byleth said, preparing to rush the archer.  
  
"Wait, what about Hanneman?" Edelgard asked, grabbing her wrist.  
  
"Magic is a fair bit slower than arrows, and arrows are a fair bit slower than me. You three, back us up from afar."  
  
She and Edelgard rushed out, and as she expected, Mercedes fell back, and Ashe and Hanneman moved forward. They both shot projectiles, Ashe at her, Hanneman, a fire spell at Edelgard.  
  
The spell caught Elly on the arm, but she dodged Ashe's arrow entirely.  
  
"Um−" Ashe managed.  
  
"Sorry, kiddo," she said, swinging her training sword at him.  
  
Dimitri caught the blow on his lance.  
  
"Oh, are you serious, Dima?"  
  
"Sorry, beloved," Dimitri offered, pushing her back.  
  
They began to trade (or rather, repeatedly block) blows, while Ashe tried (and seemingly failed) to get a clean shot.  
  
Edelgard managed to get a hit on Hanneman.  
  
"Well done, Ms. Hresvelg. I'll have to withdraw," the older man said.  
  
With that success, Edelgard turned her attention to Ashe, though she was stopped by Dedue.  
  
"My apologies, Princess," he said.  
  
"Oh, it's fine," Edelgard replied, "considering that Mercedes is now defenseless."  
  
Bernadetta's arrow flew straight and true.  
  
"Oh my! Well, I suppose that's it for me," Mercedes said.  
  
"Drat," Dimitri muttered.  
  
And with that, the onslaught of magic came.  
  
Dimitri dodged the first pair of Miasmas, but Dedue could not, and with no opposition, Edelgard took care of Ashe, and then Dimitri.  
  
"Nicely done, you two," Dimitri said.  
  
"Thank you, Mitya."  
  
"To be fair, Dima, you had a good plan. It just required me to not be really good at this. And Ashe to not be super anxious about hitting you."  
  
"Sorry, Your Highness," the boy in question offered.  
  
"It's alright, Ashe," Dimitri assured him.  
  
Jeralt announced the Black Eagles the victors, and all returned to the monastery.  
  
When they got back, Rhea called her to the Audience Chamber.  
  
"Your skills and guidance were on grand display today, child," Rhea said.  
  
"I'm more impressed with Dima's performance. The plan he normally goes for is vastly different to the one he used today. Playing to his allies' strengths like that...he's come really far, as a tactician."  
  
"And yet, that too is a result of your guidance," Seteth said.  
  
"I suppose."  
  
"I believe you will be pleased to hear, child, that the Western Church's Bishop has been dismissed, and those directly below him were questioned for involvement."  
  
"Questioning typically involves getting answers, and releasing those who didn't have any," Byleth said.  
  
"What are you getting at?" Seteth asked.

"I just want to know that you didn't kill anyone who was simply following the orders of someone they believed to be the Western Church's Bishop."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Rhea," Byleth warned.  
  
"Yes, child?"  
  
"Killing people for being convinced by a lie is wrong, Rhea."  
  
"And if that lie leads them to act against the Church?"  
  
"Killing them removes any possibility of them learning from their mistakes, Rhea."  
  
"Killing them also removes any possibility of them striking again."  
  
"I see. Dimitri and I will be speaking to Lonato ourselves, then."  
  
"What?"  
  
Rhea sounded genuinely shocked.  
  
"I clearly can't trust you with this matter. What have you done, to stop that massacre?"  
  
"I have...deployed a few battalions of the Knights of Seiros to the Gaspard region. They should be able to keep the peace."  
  
"Tch. You don't get it, Rhea. Stuff like this can only be resolved through conversation. You fail to realize that. Sending forces to 'keep the peace' is nothing more than a scare tactic. It'll only make things worse."  
  
"Child..."  
  
"I'm 20 years old. Though, I suppose that still makes me a child, compared to someone who's lived more than a thousand years."  
  
"How do you know that?" Seteth asked.  
  
"Answers for answers, Rhea. You tell me who and what my mother was, I tell you how I know who you are."  
  
"This discussion is over, child."  
  
"Of course it is," Byleth spat.  
  
"Dimitri still has a duty as house leader, Lady Byleth," Seteth told her.  
  
"Dimitri's duties as Crown Prince are more important. Especially with his shitshow of an uncle at the helm," Byleth argued.  
  
She left the Audience Chamber.  
  
Or started to.  
  
"Dear child," Rhea called.  
  
"What?!" Byleth shouted.  
  
"Why are you...acting like this?"  
  
Something in Byleth snapped.  
  
"Because I barely know anything about you, and what I do know isn't a good look! You refuse to answer any of my questions, and would endanger the lives and minds of innocent students just to test me! How the hell am I supposed to trust you when you're acting like this?! You made the Church, Rhea, and then let the world fall to ruin around you!"  
  
"How...do you know..."  
  
"Like I said, Rhea, answers for answers. What am I? What did you do to me? _Why?_ Who, or what, was my mother? Who were the other 'failures', and how many were there? What the _fuck_ are Crests and Relics? What's Agartha? Why do they have a grudge against you? These are the questions you've failed to answer, Rhea, and all of Fódlan is suffering for it."  
  
"I...will answer all of these questions in time, child..."  
  
" _No!_ I need these answers _now_ , Rhea, if I'm to trust you at all! You've always, _always_ , told me that you'd tell me, but I literally came out on top of a war and _saved you_ and you told me _nothing_! You expect to believe you this time?! Hell, you didn't even tell _Seteth_ about what you did to me until he bugged you about it for days! You keep secrets, Seiros, and they're dangerous ones. It's high time you open up!"  
  
"...Do you hate me, child?"  
  
"...I'm not pleased with you, like, at all, but I wouldn't say I hate you."  
  
"...Would you kill me, child, if I did not tell you?"  
  
"...Gonna be honest, I already did, once. I died immediately after. Not keen on doing it again."  
  
"...You...what?"  
  
"That time I sided with Dimitri...it wasn't my first go around. The first time, I chose the Black Eagles. You...over, and over, and over again, threw me into trials to test my connection to Sothis, without a care in the world as to how I or my students would feel. You wouldn't tell me anything. Anything at all. Just whatever useless little scraps of information you thought might stir Sothis up."  
  
"Then, when my father died, you didn't tell me that you were looking for the bitch that did it. Edelgard had to do that. When you finally found her, you tried to stop me from leaving."  
  
"When Sothis and I had to fuse souls, you got all fucking weird and creepy, stroking my hair and touching me and shit like that. That's called sexual assault, Rhea, I'm not sure if you know that."

"So yeah, when Edelgard attacked the Holy Tomb and you told me to kill her? I said no! Because you never gave me a reason to trust you! And for that, you called me 'just another failure.' You never once saw me for me, Rhea, and you still haven't."  
  
"So let me make this perfectly clear, Rhea. My name is Byleth. Sothis is just a girl with time powers that you put in my head, somehow. And we both want answers."

'GET AWAY!'  
  
A strange memory. That was...Lady Byleth's voice, was it not? But Seteth had never heard her shout like that.  
  
'Where's Dimitri?'  
  
Another. Why...  
  
'Get me away from her, Seteth.'  
  
That one was accompanied by a vision. Rhea, in her room, Byleth's head in her lap, fear in her pleading eyes.  
  
'I couldn't protect her.'  
  
Prince Dimitri's voice, that time.  
  
"Lady Byleth?"  
  
"Yes, Seteth?"  
  
"At any point during your last lifetime, the one with Prince Dimitri, was your head in Rhea's lap?"  
  
Some of that fear re-entered her eyes.  
  
"Yeah...yeah, there was a moment like that. It was...the day me and Sothis fused souls. It was just like the time with Edelgard, but I knew what was coming. I...didn't want Rhea near me, but I couldn't move, and she wouldn't..."  
  
"So you shouted."  
  
"Yes...wait, how do you..."  
  
"I have had...vague visions, snippets of memory, from your former lifetimes. I suppose it is my own connection to Mother giving them to me."  
  
"You too, huh?"  
  
"Yes. I, too, am one of the Goddess' children."  
  
"I see."  
  
"What little I remember of that day...after you shouted, I must have been nearby. I opened the door, and you practically _begged_ me to take you away from there. I...cannot recall if Rhea tried to keep you there, but she must have surrendered you eventually, and afterwards, I carried you. You kept asking for Prince Dimitri, and when I finally found him, you fell asleep. I gave you to him, and must have been walking with him back to your room, because he said he'd failed you, that you'd told him multiple times that you didn't trust Rhea, and yet he still had no choice but to hand you over to Rhea after what occured."  
  
"Yeah...yeah, that sure sounds like Dima..."  
  
"It is at this point, Rhea, that I have come to the conclusion that you have hurt Lady Byleth, without even meaning to, just because you failed to see her as Byleth, rather than Sothis."  
  
"...So it would seem."  
  
Byleth grew irate at this.  
  
"That's it?! That's all you have to say for yourself?! I have fucking _nightmares_ of that day, Rhea. This is the shit I've suffered through for answers you never give. The shit you put me through because you think I'm Sothis. I'm not. I'm never going to be her. I don't even _want_ to be her. So stop asking me to."  
  
"Then...you truly are another failure."  
  
_**"I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!"**_ Byleth screamed, tears in her eyes.  
  
"Rhea. Whether you have succeeded in reviving Sothis or not is irrelevant at this point. You have hurt a life of your own creation. It is time to explain why."  
  
"...I see. Then allow me to start from the beginning," Rhea said.  
  
"...Finally..." Byleth breathed.  
  
"Long ago, the Goddess and her children travelled to this world. They met the humans here, and together, built a great kingdom known as Agartha."  
  
"Eventually, the humans of Agartha grew arrogant, pointed their blades at the Goddess and her children, began a great and bloody war. The children won, but it took the Goddess many years to heal the world."  
  
"This sounds to me like a 'history is written by the victors' situation. You've got a pretty bad track record about that, Rhea."  
  
"...I suppose I do."  
  
Byleth turned to him. "You gonna argue for either side, Seteth, or are you just gonna stand there and look nice?"  
  
"I have no intention of arguing with either of you. However, I deny−"  
  
"Don't bother, Seteth. I've done a whole lot of the "stand there and look nice while important conversations happen around you" thing in my 20/32/24 years. I know what it looks like."  
  
"Child. I am going to continue speaking now."  
  
"Okay."

"After Sothis finished healing the world, she fell asleep in the crucible known as the Holy Tomb. Meanwhile, some of the Agarthan humans retreated, and began to plot their revenge."  
  
"Revenge implies they were the victims."  
  
"I suppose they thought they were."  
  
"Rhea, there's _no way_ you don't realize how this can sound, at this point."  
  
"Byleth, please hold your skepticism for after Naldria finishes speaking."  
  
"...Naldria?"  
  
"Another name I had, once. The one I was born with."  
  
"Huh. Okay."  
  
"At any rate, the Agarthans took their revenge...by having a bandit by the name of Nemesis steal into the Holy Tomb, and kill Sothis."  
  
"Oh, hey, Nemesis, someone you actually talk about."  
  
"I...certainly wish I did not have to."  
  
"...Huh."  
  
"From Sothis' blood, he gained the Crest of Flames. From her bones, he made the Sword of the Creator, a weapon powered by a Crest Stone that was once her heart."  
  
"Waitwaitwait, is that what Crests and Relics are? Just that process repeated with the other children?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
" _Fuck_ , Elly's gonna be _pissed_."  
  
Hm.  
  
"You...intend to reveal these things to the young Hresvelg?" Rhea asked.  
  
"Yeah. Hope that's not like, a dealbreaker or anything. Trust me, Rhea, her opinion of you can only go up at this point. And besides, she won't be pissed at _you_. I mean, I don't know how, exactly, Thales got the Crest of Flames into Elly−"  
  
_"The young Hresvelg has the Crest of Flames?"_  
  
"Yeah? I mean, she's not Nemesis, Rhea. Literally couldn't be farther from him, except for the fact that both of them were used, or intended to be, at least, to strike at you. Elly literally doesn't even want the thing. It kinda hurts for me to use, honestly, and I'm not even the one who had it forcibly shoved into me...I think. You haven't gotten to that part."  
  
"What Rhea did to you was perhaps not right, but it is _leagues_ better than the tortures Princess Edelgard was put through."  
  
"Would kinda have to be, considering I was two weeks old, at most."  
  
"Closer to just a few minutes," Seteth corrected.  
  
"That's...huh."  
  
"At...any rate, the other Crests and Relics were made when Nemesis took those weapons to Zanado and...slaughtered everyone there. I alone survived."  
  
"Well, that explains why you're like this."  
  
...  
  
"What?" Rhea asked.  
  
"You're still sad and angry that all your friends and family died and no one's talked to you about it in a way that matters. You're just like Dima used to be."  
  
...  
  
"That does make an alarming amount of sense, Naldria."  
  
"I...yes, perhaps."  
  
"Anyway, I think I can figure a lot of the rest out, actually. You went out, founded the Empire with the other Saints and big man Wilhelm, killed Nemesis because yeah, I'd wanna do that too, and then like...tried to revive Sothis for some weird depression-related reason and I'm the latest attempt. But there's a few holes there. One: Mama. Two: Papa. Three: how you even started to revive Sothis in the first place. And four: the fact that Elly was born with your Crest, Ferdinand was born with Seteth's, and Linhardt was born with Flayn's. ...I should talk to Flayn. Haven't done that yet, actually."  
  
Wait.  
  
"How do you know my−" Seteth began.  
  
"I don't, but who the fuck else are you two supposed to be?"  
  
...He supposed that since he told her that he was a child of the Goddess, he naturally would be Cichol, and Flayn, Cethleann.  
  
"Fair enough," Seteth conceded.  
  
"To answer the fourth question, we simply gave our Crests to the people of the Empire long ago."  
  
"Oh, you guys just get to do that?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Is that how Papa has your Crest, then?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"...Do I get to do that?"  
  
"I...would not recommend trying," Seteth answered, "the Crest of Flames is different."  
  
"Gotcha. Can't blame a girl for asking."  
  
"And besides that, the source of your Crest is...you are like us, and yet not," Rhea said.  
  
"...Elaborate."  
  
"You remember that the Sword of the Creator was powered by Sothis' Crest Stone, yes?"  
  
"...Yeah?"  
  
"You will find that it is impossible to use a Relic without it's Crest Stone."

"Yeah, a few folks have mentioned that it's weird that I can do...that..."  
  
"...I've had it this entire time, haven't I?"  
  
Rhea nodded. "It is within you, child. That is how your connection to Sothis functions. That is how _any_ artificial connection to Sothis would function."  
  
"...You put a fancy blood rock in a newborn baby."  
  
"At the previous bearer's request, and to save your life."  
  
"...You realize I'm telling Papa that part, right?"  
  
"I would do it for you, if you did not."  
  
"Hmph. You've had 20 damn years to do so. Forgive me for being a little skeptical on that one."  
  
"You are forgiven, child." Rhea smiled wryly.  
  
"...Heh. Anyway, one more question: why do I die when you do? That's weird."  
  
"I am not certain, child, but the difference between you and all the other attempts is that you were born, in the traditional sense. All the others were homunculi, made from my blood. The fact that your father bore my Crest may have also played a part. At any rate, you and I are connected in an extremely unique way, and our lives are linked as a result."  
  
"...Why can you make homunculi?"  
  
"It was an ability I discovered shortly after Mother died. I was trying to create life, like she had."  
  
"But it didn't pan out, because you're not a creation goddess."  
  
"It did not. I could make a functioning human body with ease, but...not a soul."  
  
"Huh. Well, Rhea, I'll tell you the truth, I didn't have one either, for the first twenty years. Then, Sothis started waking up, and I met everyone, and...somewhere along the way, I gained one. I have a soul, now."  
  
"And you need to respect that that soul, named Byleth Eisner, has it's own wishes, dreams, and desires."  
  
"I...will try, Byleth."  
  
"What was Mama's name?"  
  
"Sitri. She lived...a short, but happy life. She, too, may have gained a soul, at some point."  
  
"Sitri Eisner."  
  
"Yes..."  
  
Byleth began to leave once more.  
  
"Where are you going, dear Byleth?"  
  
"Mama's grave."  
  
"...Of course, Byleth."  
  
...  
  
They moved to the advisor's room.  
  
"...Do you think she trusts me now, Cichol?"  
  
"I cannot be certain, Naldria. The thing you did to her that day in your room...it may take a while yet for her to move past that. But this is a start."  
  
"I see."  
  
"Do you, Naldria? Or are you still blinded by grief, as she suggested?"  
  
"...I am not certain."  
  
"...For what it is worth, Naldria, you know you can always speak to me. Not that that notion has seemed to help you much, these thousand years."  
  
...  
  
"How long have we known each other, now?"  
  
"Four thousand years, give or take a few decades."  
  
"Such a long time."  
  
"Yet it is nothing in comparison to Mother's life."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
...  
  
"Do you even remember how old she was, Naldria?"  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"I...believe it was somewhere around 2 million years?"  
  
"That...sounds right, but I cannot be sure..."  
  
"I wonder if she even remembered."  
  
"Jeralt claims to have lost count at 100. Mother was, of course, much smarter than he, but..."  
  
"Isn't Jeralt only 309, this year?"  
  
"That is correct, yes."  
  
"Perhaps I should remind him."  
  
...  
  
"Cichol?"  
  
"Naldria."  
  
"I...have long since forgotten your wife's face."  
  
"Alicia has been dead a very long time, Naldria. That is only to be expected."  
  
"Can you remember, then?"  
  
"...I cannot. Cethleann might be able to, considering how she..."  
  
"Right. Alicia, from her memory's perspective, has only been dead for about a decade."  
  
"Quite right."  
  
"...I had forgotten her name until you reminded me."  
  
"Well, that, at least, shall never fade from my mind."  
  
"One can hope."  
  
...  
  
"Naldria?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I trust today's events will not affect Lady Byleth's standing in the Church."  
  
"She...may not be what I hoped for, but she is close enough that I..."  
  
"You still intend to leave it to her, then."  
  
"Yes. But...I wonder...if she would agree to going to the Holy Tomb."  
  
"I would think not. Not yet, at least."  
  
...  
  
"Cichol?"  
  
"Naldria."  
  
"How is...she doing?"  
  
"Cethleann? She's doing well. She...still fears sleeping, somewhat, but she's fine."  
  
"Byleth said she hadn't talked to her yet."  
  
"...So she did...odd, considering how much she socializes."

"I think meeting Byleth would be good for her."  
  
"I agree. Byleth is the type to encourage her to try new things, while steering her from the dangerous ones. I can trust her, I feel."  
  
"Odd, to hear you say that."  
  
...  
  
"...Byleth would be a good mother."  
  
"She would, yes, but I wonder if she could even..."  
  
"She's much healthier than Sitri was, Naldria."  
  
"That's not what I'm worried about, Cichol."  
  
"...Ah. The soul argument. Well, I believe hers should certainly be strong enough by the time she and Prince Dimitri decide to have children."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, Byleth finally has her answers.
> 
> Also, Rhea is a decent character, and isn't the complete demon canon-Edelgard makes her out to be, but she's super fucking sketchy in part 1 and does not know how to govern. She's basically a small child with depression-brain swinging around a hammer called authority. She's really fucking shit at this, and Byleth basically has to clean up her mess, so that's how I wrote this.
> 
> Also I am ABSOLUTELY not writing the Battle of the Eagle and Lion in like, any detail. Fuck. That. This was hard enough.


	13. The Weeping Soul, Strong and Resolute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A whole lot happens this chapter. Jeralt tries to help his daughter, Solon tries his luck, Dimitri learns the truth and encourages Byleth, Hubert interrogates a prisoner, Claude gets the answers he came for, and Rhea finds new strength.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy fuck this chapter is long. Like, the memo app I write in allows a maximum of 4096 characters per memo. I usually only need 6 memo entries for one chapter.
> 
> This one took 9.
> 
> It's a bigger boi than most.

As Jeralt expected, he found his daughter at Sitri's grave, sitting with her knees to her chest.  
  
"Go to her, Jeralt," Rhea had said, "she needs support, in this time."  
  
"Hey, By."  
  
"Who fixed it?" Byleth asked, without turning her head.  
  
"...Huh?"  
  
"Who fixed the headstone? It used to be really faded."  
  
"Oh, uh, I asked Seteth to do something about it."  
  
"Oh...that was...nice of him, I guess."  
  
"What's wrong, By?"  
  
"Everything, Papa."  
  
"Well, I can't fix _everything_ , so you have to be a little more specific."  
  
"Of course you can't. That's my job, apparently."  
  
"...By?"  
  
"...Why can't people just fucking talk to each other?"  
  
"There's...a lot of reasons for that, By."  
  
"Well, they're all stupid. I'm just a mercenary who fell in love with a prince. I shouldn't have to save an entire continent from itself."  
  
...  
  
"Right now, I should be planning my wedding. Elly should be my maid of honor, Dedue should be Dima's best man, and you should be there to give me away. Instead, Elly was dead, by Dima's hand, it took me and Dima several hours to convince Dedue that it was, in fact, okay for him to participate in the royal wedding, and you had been killed by some bitch who I should've told Rhea about from the very start."  
  
...This...he was out of his depth, here.  
  
"Do you...want me to go get the prince?"  
  
"Yeah...yeah, that'd be nice, Papa."  
  
So he left. He decided to check the kid's classroom, first, but the only ones there were that short, excitable ginger and the blonde student that was weirdly older than By was.  
  
"Oh, Captain, hello!" The blonde, Mercy, he thought, greeted.  
  
"Where's that prince of yours?"  
  
"Oh, um...at this hour, he's probably at the training grounds with Felix and all them," the ginger, Annie(?), responded.  
  
"Does...Miss Byleth need help?" Mercy asked.  
  
"Yeah...yeah, you could say that."  
  
"Alright then, Annie, you go check the dining hall, I'll check the Knight's hall," Mercy said.  
  
"Okay, Mercy!"  
  
"...I thought you said that he would be at the training grounds."  
  
"Yes, but those are the other places His Highness frequents. If Miss Byleth needs help, we need to find him as fast as possible!" Annie explained.  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
He went to the training grounds, leaving the two girls behind (though he still heard Annie trip over something, clumsy kid). Sure enough, the Prince was there, in a crazy three-on-one sparring match against his vassal, the snarky Fraldarius, and the flirty Gautier who he'd ordinarily threaten to rip the face off of if he did anything to By, but he knew the prince had that covered.  
  
"Hey, kiddo, don't mean to interrupt, but By needs you."  
  
The Fraldarius sighed, and turned away, Gautier wiggled his eyebrows, but the prince and his vassal just simply looked confused.  
  
"Your Highness, did the Professor not..."  
  
Wait.  
  
Byleth mentioned something about being able to talk to the prince with her mind, once.  
  
"Where is she?!" Dimitri demanded, an angry look on his face now.  
  
"In the graveyard. Let's go," Jeralt answered.  
  
He shouldn't have left her alone.

The beast had left the Fell Star alone.  
  
"Professor Eisner," Tomas began, "who are you mourning?"  
  
"A lot of people," she answered, standing up and sending out a magic wave of some sort, perhaps to intimidate him, "but I could start on the souls in Remire that died by your hand, if you like, Solon."  
  
She had turned to him, and wore an expression of tired anger.  
  
Time to stop playing coy, then.  
  
He launched a Banshee Theta at the woman.  
  
One she effortlessly dodged.  
  
"Dark magic is so slow, Solon. You really should try another form of combat. That stick of yours must have some weight to it. Why not try swinging it? I know you're old, but it might just be faster."  
  
"My staff is a powerful piece of technology, not something to be swung around like a club!" Solon shouted, casting Death Gamma.  
  
"Cool, I can only imagine how funny it'll be when I break it over your bulbous fucking head," the Fell Star deadpanned, dodging his spell.  
  
Infuriating. Absolutely infuriating. The Fell Star was going to tell the Flame Emperor _everything−_

 _"Don't struggle,"_ someone growled, before a wooden lance pierced his leg.  
  
"Dima!" The witch called, a smile on her face.  
  
Drat. The wolf child was here too, now. He needed to warp away, now−  
  
Why...couldn't he...  
  
"I'm afraid you're not going anywhere," the Flame Emperor's lapdog said.  
  
"I thought we were friends, Tomas. Why would you wanna leave?" the Almyran half-beast asked, smirking.  
  
When had they arrived? It scarcely mattered, but...  
  
"Welp, I leave interrogating this sack of shit to you and Claude, Bertie," The Fell Star said, "Don't bother asking about Crests and stuff, I'll give you those answers myself later."  
  
"It will be done."  
  
"Yep, just leave it to us, Teach."  
  
Solon knew then that he was in a world of trouble.

"Why did you not call for me, beloved?" Dimitri asked her, as Claude and Hubert took Solon to a room she prepared with them three days ago.  
  
"I knew Solon was nearby, so once he initiated a conversation, I sent out a magic wave that Hubert and I had agreed upon. Claude must have been nearby, I guess. I knew Papa looking for you, and you'd find it weird that I didn't call, so you'd come right here," Byleth explained.  
  
"That...is not an excuse to worry me so. I thought something had happened to you," Dimitri told her.  
  
"I'm sorry," she offered, "I should've said something, but once the fight started, I didn't have time, and the wave took a moment to prepare..."  
  
"Please, do not endanger yourself like this again," he pleaded, "my heart cannot take it."  
  
His...heart.  
  
"The heart that beats for both of us," Byleth murmured.  
  
"Beloved?"  
  
"I had a hard talk with Rhea. She told me everything."  
  
"That's wonderful, beloved, now we can−"  
  
"It's...it's not as good as you think, Dima," she cut him off, "I...still don't really know what I am."  
  
"Beloved..."  
  
"Let's go to my room. We can talk there."  
  
"Of course..."  
  
Once they got to her room, she shut the door, locked it, and sat on the bed, against the wall. Dimitri sat in the desk chair.  
  
"I...want to be held right now, Dima," she told him.  
  
"I'm...not sure..."  
  
"Please?"  
  
He relented, moved to the bed, sat against the wall as she had, and picked her up and held her.  
  
Her head rested against his chest.  
  
The heartbeat within pulsed in her ears.  
  
"I love you, Dima."  
  
"I love you too, Byleth."  
  
...  
  
"Mama...wasn't human."  
  
"She...wasn't?"  
  
"No. She was a being, born from Rhea's blood. Rhea figured out a long time ago, how to make functional human bodies, but she could never make a soul."  
  
"That...Sir Jeralt always described her differently. The way he talks about her...no one without a soul could be so full of life."  
  
"Mama had an enriching enough childhood that she...grew a soul, I guess. It's something I had to do, too."  
  
"You...what?"  
  
"I was...born without a soul. You remember the tales of the Ashen Demon? The mercenary girl who kills without blinking an eye? No remorse, no mercy? That's how a mercenary without a soul acts."  
  
"So...what changed?"  
  
"I...came to Garreg Mach. I met all these strange and wonderful people, and they insisted on talking to me, and inviting me to stuff...I'd never had that, before. No one talked to the girl who jumped through flames to kill a man who attacked her father, who never screamed in pain when the flames touched her feet, who's soot-covered face never changed, even as some of the ash was washed away by blood. That's the origin of that name. The second I started growing a soul, I found that I hated that name."  
  
"But...thinking about it, my first ever emotional reaction was saving Edelgard from that axe. So maybe what changed is that Sothis woke up...and I met you."  
  
She somehow felt him smile at this.  
  
"I was born stillborn. Mama was never really healthy, so she couldn't survive giving birth to me...she told Rhea to take Sothis' heart, the Crest Stone that goes in the Sword of the Creator, out of her, and put it into me, to save my life."  
  
"The...Crest Stone?"  
  
Some knocks came to her door.  
  
"Child, open the door."  
  
Rhea.  
  
"Beloved?"  
  
"I don't wanna talk to her right now."  
  
More knocks.  
  
"Kid, what the hell happened?"

Papa.  
  
That one, she wouldn't ignore.  
  
She got up, unlocked the door, and opened it a bit. "I don't wanna talk to Rhea right now."  
  
"That's fair, kid, but you need to tell me what happened."  
  
"Nothing that hasn't been resolved."  
  
She really didn't want to tell Rhea about Solon. Knowing her, she'd kill him, and he was their one chance for the answers they needed.  
  
"That is not an answer, child."  
  
"I'm afraid that it's one I learned from you, Rhea."  
  
"I thought we'd moved past this−"  
  
"I haven't. But it's nothing that'll hurt you. In fact, it'll help you, if you just give it time to play out. Now leave."  
  
Rhea "hmph"ed and walked away. She waited until she was out of sight, and then began speaking. "An Agarthan named Solon attacked me. It didn't work out for him, and now Claude and Hubert are interrogating him. I didn't wanna tell Rhea because she'd go off and kill him and we _really_ need the answers Solon would give."  
  
"Well, kid, I don't know what an Agarthan is, aside from an apparent threat, so I'm just making sure you're alright."  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine, Papa."  
  
She shut the door, and locked it again.  
  
"I was worried that Rhea might..." Dimitri trailed off.  
  
"Get forceful? No, she knows better than that now. And Papa wouldn't let her. Neither would you."  
  
She got back into Dimitri's arms. "Anyway, where were we?"  
  
"I had just asked about a Crest Stone."  
  
"Oh. Right. Guess I was telling this story backwards. Um...so basically, everything the Church says about Crests, Relics, and Nemesis is a lie. Nemesis was just a normal bandit until the Agarthans made contact with him and said 'hey go kill Sothis and you'll get power beyond your wildest dreams' and being a stupid fucking bandit he took the bait. Unfortunately, the bait paid out. He got the Crest of Flames from her blood and then took her bones and heart back to the Agarthans and came back to Zanado with the Sword of the Creator and killed everyone. That's why Rhea's like she is."  
  
"I certainly understand her grief, but the things she's done...though, perhaps I have no room to talk..."

She silenced him with a kiss.  
  
"Hush. You're better than her, Dima, because you try to be. You've moved past your grief, and walk the world with your head held high. She doesn't."  
  
"...Thank you, beloved."  
  
"So after Rhea killed Nemesis, she took back Sothis' Crest Stone and tried to use it to revive her, because depression brain is bonkers, and Mama was an attempt that didn't go very well. Something about Papa having Rhea's Crest made me work on a really weird level and now I have Sothis in my brain and if Rhea dies I die."  
  
"But what about the Agarthans?"  
  
"Oh, Rhea said that the Agarthans were humans that got prideful a long time ago and tried to kill Sothis and it didn't work out for them and now they're very angry about it. I'm not sure how much I believe that one, but every Agarthan we know of has a really shitty track record even outside of 'the Church fucking sucks and I hate it', which is a sentiment I get, but like, that doesn't excuse all the other shit they do. They need to get a hobby that doesn't involve hurting and/or manipulating people."  
  
"That's...are you okay, beloved?"  
  
"I'm tired, Dima. I just wanna live life with you. I didn't ask for all this."  
  
"I didn't either, beloved. And I understand that you weren't raised for this sort of role, like I was. But...we can be strong, together."  
  
"Yeah...yeah. Let's go, Dima. I know where Solon is."

"What is happening in Hrym territory?" Hubert asked.  
  
"As if I'd tell you−ugh!" Solon shouted, cut off by a kick from Hubert.  
  
"We're not getting far like this, Hubes. I think we're better off calling it a day and investigating Hrym ourselves," Claude observed.  
  
They probably were. The two of them had been at this for an hour and a half and had only gotten the fact that _something_ was happening in Hrym territory, and even that was just based on a reaction.  
  
But interrogation was a Vestra strong point, and Hubert was, without question, a Vestra.

"The problem with that is we'd have to leave him here. Not only would we have to worry about this wretch escaping, we'd also have to contend with the Church's zealots," he argued.  
  
"The cool thing about both of those problems is that you can have one or more of your guys stand guard and say he's there under Primary Bishop Eisner's orders. Wouldn't even be a lie if we got her permission for it," Claude countered.  
  
Hm. Now that was an idea.  
  
"Quite right..." Hubert murmured.  
  
The door opened. He immediately reached for a spell−  
  
"Just me and Dima!" Byleth announced.  
  
He quietly let out a breath he'd been holding.  
  
"Scared me half to death, Teach."  
  
"Sorry about that. This fucker coughed anything up?"  
  
"Yes, but not intentionally. There is an Agarthan operation in Hrym territory."  
  
"That is a start," Dimitri said, "anything else?"  
  
"I'm afraid not. However, Miss Eisner, Claude had a suggestion: some of my men could stand guard in and around this room, and say they were doing so under your orders. Your position as Primary Bishop should ward off the average inquisitive guard."  
  
"Right. I gave Rhea permission to make information about my position public the day we prepared this room just in case that exact measure became necessary."  
  
This woman truly is a step ahead! Impressive.  
  
"However, the small problem with that is Rhea gets to override my orders, and she'd be the one most keen on doing so."  
  
...That...was an issue.  
  
"Yeah, that's a problem," Claude said, "but Seteth has a cooler head, so maybe we can get him on board to ward her off?"  
  
"That's a risk scarcely worth taking. There's every chance he might take that information and hand it directly to the Archbishop," Hubert argued.  
  
"No, it would actually work. I've known Seteth for a lot longer than you, Hubert, and he will keep a secret like this from Rhea if it's to everyone's benefit," Byleth countered.  
  
"If you're certain," Hubert conceded.  
  
"Still, Hrym territory...how to go about that..." Dimitri murmured.  
  
"Jeritza?" Claude suggested.  
  
"The Death Knight is useless when it comes to this sort of thing," Hubert explained.  
  
"Hey, I've talked to Jerri. He's not all bad, but...yeah, when it comes to matters of investigation, he's a little too brute force."  
  
"...Jerri. Really, beloved?"  
  
"He was on Elly's side in the war, so I got to know him pretty well. He...really is Mercie's younger brother. At any rate, Hubert, I've got an idea."  
  
"Do tell?"  
  
"You remember who runs Hrym territory right now, don't you?"  
  
Hrym territory was under the Prime Minister's...ah.  
  
"You think we should ask Ferdinand," Hubert responded.  
  
"Exactly. He may not know much of anything, but an Aegir's authority over the territory is something we can use."  
  
"Why wouldn't he know anything if his old man runs the place?" Claude asked.  
  
"Because Ludwig keeps Ferdie in the dark on Hrym territory, mostly because he treats it like shit."  
  
"Yes, that's the long and short of it," Hubert agreed.  
  
"I just realized something," Dimitri began. "What do you say the chances of Thales finding out about this sorry waste of life being captured and talking to Edelgard are?"  
  
"Rather high," Byleth answered, "considering what he said after Papa died. 'There are always rats in the walls, and there always will be.' He could've been referring to Elly or Bertie here, but if not, I have no idea who they are."  
  
"I suppose I shall have to tell Lady Edelgard to remain armed anytime she is alone, just in case."  
  
"Wow, Hubes, I didn't think that would be your response."  
  
"Unfortunately, I have to sleep at some point."  
  
"I mean...you, me, Ferdie, and Dottie can take watch shifts. And I'm sure Dima and Dedue can cover shifts if need be."  
  
"I...don't think El would like that."  
  
"I'm sure she'll take it over the alternative of getting murdered," Claude argued.  
  
"Who's getting murdered?"  
  
"Lady Edelgard," Hubert greeted, then grimaced, "unfortunately, that..."  
  
"Kinda the answer to your question, Elly, but we're trying to prevent that. Thales might just come around and be an asshole."

"I would ask that you carry a hand axe for your protection at all times, Lady Edelgard."  
  
"Oh, is that all? Easy enough."  
  
"Flame Emperor," Solon spat. "So you truly have thrown your lot in with these beasts."  
  
Byleth picked up Solon's staff, and swung it at his head hard enough for it to break, knocking him unconscious.  
  
"Do be quiet," she told him.  
  
"Woah, brutal," Claude observed.  
  
"Unfortunately, it wasn't as funny or vindicating as I'd hoped."  
  
"At any rate, Princess, what's your opinion on Hrym territory?"  
  
"It's...something of a mess, thanks to the Prime Minister's handiwork. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Oh, just Baldy here mentioning the place."  
  
"Wait, I just remembered something," Byleth said. "After Elly dismissed Ludwig, Thales took control of Hrym."  
  
"There's _gotta_ be something there, then! Something big!"  
  
"Agreed. But with that in mind, it would seem impossible to investigate it without tipping off Thales."  
  
"We've _long_ since burned that bridge, Hubert. We move forward with the plan to investigate Hrym territory, regardless of the consequences."  
  
"...That does mean we are placing ourselves at the mercy of the Church until you take the throne, Lady Edelgard."  
  
"...Ah...yes, quite..."  
  
"I'll protect you, Elly. I'll always protect you from her."  
  
"...Right...thank you, Bylie."  
  
Ironically, they might as well be back at square one on certain matters. Back at the mercy of the Church. Lives threatened every day by a force that could strike at any moment. Soon to be powerless within the Empire.  
  
But they weren't alone. That was enough for Lady Edelgard, and so it was enough for Hubert.

"Anyway, Teach, you said you had answers on Crests and Relics?"  
  
"Yeah. Let's gather everyone, then head to the classroom."  
  
Claude was _stoked._ These were the answers he'd been hoping for ever since coming here. Who knew it wouldn't even take two weeks to get them?  
  
After Hubert gathered half a dozen of his spies, told them they were there under the Primary Bishop's orders, and that they were not to allow anyone other than those currently present into the room, they departed.  
  
He was tasked with finding Hilda. He checked her room first, and sure enough...  
  
"Oh, hey, Khalid, what's up?" Hilda asked, laying on her bed.  
  
"Rhea finally opened up to Teach, that's what's up," Claude answered from the door.  
  
Hilda suddenly sat up. "No shit?"  
  
"Yeah, let's go."  
  
They returned to the Black Eagles classroom for an evening of answers...and found Rhea.  
  
"Um...change of plans, everyone," Byleth said, standing next to the Archbishop, "Rhea intercepted me on the way here and said that if I'm going to tell all of you, I might as well gather the entire student population and let her tell the story. So...that's what we're doing tomorrow, I guess."  
  
Oh.  
  
Claude looked around the room to gauge reactions. Felix and Hilda looked annoyed, Dedue was neutral (as always), Dimitri didn't seem to care (he supposed Teach must have told him already), but Edelgard, Hubert, and Dorothea looked actively angry.  
  
"Really," Edelgard said, "Rhea, this is just like you, using your authority to suppress the truth and twist it to your means−"  
  
"Enough," Rhea sighed, "I am done with that. I have seen how it hurts this world. That is why I am inviting all of you students, those who would lead Fódlan and beyond, to hear these truths."  
  
Huh.  
  
"That makes a pretty big difference to me, honestly," Claude said, "dunno about the rest of y'all."  
  
"Not to play for the opposing team, but if you come clean to this year's entire graduating class, that could _seriously_ affect how the Church is trusted in Fódlan. We kinda need the Church to be trusted if our plans for Thales are gonna work," Hilda pointed out.  
  
Most of the room, including him, seemed to consider this for the first time.  
  
"All in favor of delaying this talk for a month or two?" Byleth called. "Like, Hilda's got a point, and if you _really_ wanna know, you can just ask me."  
  
All of the room, except Edelgard, raised their hands.  
  
"Wha−you too, Hubert?!"

"As per our discussion earlier, Lady Edelgard, I cannot, in good conscience, advocate for a decision that would hurt the Church's standing in Fódlan so egregiously," Hubert explained. "I understand and empathize with your desire for everyone to have the truth, but now is not the time."  
  
"Yeah, that's about the long and short of it, Princess. We've got way too much riding on the Church being able to act in the Empire. Whatever Rhea's got to say will kill any chances of that, I think."  
  
"Yeah, it definitely will," Byleth agreed, "sorry, Elly, but this is the hand we've been dealt."  
  
"Fine," Edelgard sighed, "it shall wait. But I specifically need to know what Rhea's been hiding."  
  
"Anyone else? Claude, Hubert, I assume you two are interested too, so I'm just gonna go get dinner, bring it back here, and start telling everyone who's still here to listen. Anyone who just doesn't really care can leave, if they want."  
  
Most everyone left, though Dedue, Hubert, and Edelgard stayed. Dimitri did, too, but he figured that was so he could keep Teach company.  
  
"Dedue, I didn't expect this out of you! Here to find out what all the Fódlan fuss is about?"  
  
"Fódlan...fuss?"  
  
Aw, _hell_ _._  
  
He'd forgotten Rhea was still here.  
  
He put on his most winning smile. "Archbishop Rhea, it occurs to me that we have not been officially introduced! My name is Khalid al-Kadir, and I am the Crown Prince of Almyra. Nice to meet you!" he said, offering a hand to her.  
  
It simply hung in the air. "...I see."  
  
The smile and hand fell away. "I'm not pleased, Lady Rhea. I've had a real rough go of it on both sides of the Throat, and the Church doctrine you preach is to blame. I don't even know what you've got against us, but the results are felt all beyond Fódlan. I've come to bring that to an end, and Teach has said she's gonna help me."  
  
"She...said that?"  
  
"Yeah. But I want the answer out of you, Rhea. What makes the difference between the people on one side of an imaginary line called a 'border' and the people on the other?"  
  
"Nothing. Nothing at all. It is...just something I did to protect the people of Fódlan."  
  
"With no care at all for how the ones on the other side felt."  
  
"They...were not mine to protect..."  
  
"You have scarcely protected the ones on this side, Rhea," Edelgard jumped in.  
  
"All because you were too focused on bringing back something dead," Byleth added.  
  
"...Okay Teach, you're gonna have to explain that one."  
  
"I will. Just...know that the start of this story, for one, cannot be impartially fact-checked, and for two, came from Rhea. So it's gonna sound a little suspicious and there's nothing I can do about that."  
  
"Oh, joy," Hubert responded.  
  
"Is this retelling going to be fair to me at all, child?"  
  
"Listen, I told you this starting bit sounded sketchy, and all you said in response was basically 'yeah, it sure does, huh', which, to be fair to you, is not how you usually react when someone tells you something like that, which works in your favor, actually."  
  
"Very well."  
  
"So let's begin. Long ago, Sothis came to Fódlan on a vacation with all her kids," this earned her a glare from Rhea, "hey, you never told me why she came here, and she doesn't remember, so excuse me for filling in a blank with a harmless funny option. If it helps at all, Sothis thinks it's funny too. Anyway, they found their vacation spot inhabited and not very nice, so instead of calling whatever vacation agency they had, they decided to−oh, fine, I'll tell the story the boring way. Sothis and her many children gifted the humans their knowledge, and together built a great kingdom called Agartha."  
  
"Does the funny version sound any better when it comes to not sounding like a little girl bragging about how cool her mommy is?" Claude asked.  
  
"Not really, unfortunately. And if you ask me, Sothis may or may not have had a favorite kid and she may or may not be sitting right next to me," Byleth answered, shoving a forkful of pasta into her mouth.  
  
"I was not Mother's favorite..."  
  
"I'll check that with Seteth later."  
  
"What are we checking with me?"

"Seteth! Hello. You wouldn't happen to know if Sothis had a favorite child, would you?"  
  
"Ah. So that's what this is about. I want you to know, Rhea, that yes, you absolutely were Mother's favorite."  
  
Rhea sighed.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Hubert asked.  
  
"Making sure Rhea remains calm if Princess Edelgard gets inquisitive."  
  
"That...yeah, that's a good idea," Claude admitted.  
  
"The humans of Agartha eventually grew prideful, forgetting who gave them this knowledge, and decided to kill Sothis, starting a huge war, which they lost. Some of the Agarthans retreated somewhere, biding their time for revenge. I'd like to once again mention that, given the source, I don't really buy this origin story for the Agarthans, but there are two things working in Rhea's favor on it. The first is that she didn't get all defensive when I said 'hey this sounds sketchy as hell' and the second is that literally every Agarthan I know of has a really shitty track record even outside of 'the Church fucking sucks and I hate it'. Some of the shit they've done makes sense if you consider it a multi-step plan to fuck up the Church, but like, the Tragedy of Duscur, Remire, and Arianrhod? None of those things needed to happen. They just felt like doing them."  
  
"I see. So you're saying that, regardless of who struck first, the Agarthans are a dangerous threat that cannot be allowed," Hubert mused. "For what it's worth, I agree. Even if the Archbishop has done an exceptionally poor job of keeping any sort of order, and has arguably done more harm than good in the long run, that does not excuse the Agarthan's insidious actions."  
  
"I do not personally have a stake in this ancient battle," Dedue began, "but any group that would kill as good a man as his late Majesty just to stir chaos cannot and should not be suffered."  
  
"Right, right. So Sothis spent a long time healing the world from the damage the war did, and then fell asleep in the Holy Tomb and that's where she stayed. And then like, way later, the Agarthans talked to a bandit named Nemesis and told him to go kill Sothis in exchange for power. Apparently bandits haven't changed much in the past twelve centuries because he took that bait and it, unlike most things like that, actually paid out. From her blood, he got the Crest of Flames, and from her bones, he made the Sword of the Creator, powered by a Crest Stone that was once her heart."  
  
"Not sure how I feel about my own Crest of Riegan, now. I mean, Princess is more or less clean, considering Seiros is sitting right there, but Riegan of the Ten Elites was one of Nemesis' friends."  
  
"A Crest can be used for bad or good," Seteth said, "and Riegan's crimes are not your own."  
  
"Nemesis came back to Zanado with the Sword of the Creator and killed all of the Children there. Rhea here was the only one who lived."  
  
"I...hm. Perhaps I have been too cold to you, Seiros," Edelgard conceded, "to think, that which was done to me and my siblings was also done to yours."  
  
Wait.  
  
"Yo. Princess. Wanna explain that?"  
  
"Oh. Um," Edelgard stuttered, before gathering herself, "well, it's exactly as I said. My siblings were tortured and killed, their collective blood defiled by dark magics into the Crest of Flames, which was then put into me. I have two Crests."  
  
Claude examined Edelgard again. White hair. Unnaturally great strength. Imperial occupation. Two Crests.  
  
Lysithea's strength was more magic-based, but...  
  
"You know anything about Lysithea?" He asked.  
  
"I...those people did mention a child of Ordelia, back then..."  
  
So Lysithea _was_ connected.  
  
"Teach."  
  
"Yeah, Claude?"  
  
"Can I ask Lysithea if she wants in on all this?"  
  
"I'm not real sure that's a good idea, Claude. I don't have much more than a basic read on any of you Deer students."  
  
"You're missing the point, Teach. We just got confirmation that Lysithea was hurt by the Agarthans. She deserves to know."  
  
"She's still so young..."  
  
"She'd be pissed if she heard you say that and you know it."

"...Alright, yeah. You have my permission to ease her into this. But _ease_ her into it. Don't drop all this on her."  
  
"Gotcha. I'll get to work on that soon. Maybe just say 'hey, I know your deal with Crests, Teach has got a group going to fight those guys'."  
  
"Yeah, that should work. So, after Rhea killed Nemesis for being a genocidal asshole, which, again, doesn't matter who started this because genocide is fucked up anyway, she took back Sothis' Crest Stone, founded the Church, and tried to revive Sothis. You still haven't explained that one, by the way, Rhea. Depression brain can lead you to make some questionable decisions, but like...there's wanting revenge on the people who wronged you at literally any cost, and then there's actual necromancy."  
  
"It...was not necromancy..."  
  
"Attempting to bring the dead back to life is the literal definition of necromancy," Hubert argued.  
  
"I agree, Rhea. You should have let her rest."  
  
"I thought...if I succeeded, then she could bring back all that once was..."  
  
"Goddess, if Felix could hear you right now," Byleth muttered, "he's not here to say it, so I will. The dead are _gone_ , Rhea. It is up to the living to move forward without them."  
  
"Indeed, Lady Rhea. I know first-hand the grip the fallen can have on a person, but it is long past time that you start living for what you believe in."  
  
"But...if not Mother, then what..."  
  
"How about us?" Claude suggested. "If you're really wanting for something to believe in, how about the lives you're sworn to protect as Archbishop? Seems like as good an answer as any."  
  
"Or, better yet, believe in what we're hoping and working for: a better Fódlan, one where all peoples walk forward hand in hand, regardless of Crests, status, faith, or nationality," Edelgard added. "That is what _I_ believe in, having suffered at the hands of the Agarthans as you have."  
  
"These are the hopes of the future, Rhea," Byleth continued, "these are the things I turn back time to protect. They are worthy things to believe in."  
  
"Rhea."  
  
"Yes, Seteth?"  
  
"The time has come for the Church to move forward."  
  
"...I suppose it has. I leave operations against the Agarthans to you, dear Byleth, though I hope you can find it in yourself to trust me with information."  
  
"Thank you, Rhea. I'll still be doing the work in Gaspard with Dimitri, but...well, I've seen a few too many details that point towards something big in Hrym territory. If I could have the assistance of the Knights, and especially Shamir, she's _really_ good at this sort of thing, that would help greatly."  
  
Hm. Teach was good at this, pointing towards Hrym without so much as hinting towards Solon's existence.  
  
"Of course. Ser Shamir is at your disposal, as well as any Knight personnel you require. Use them well."  
  
"If this discussion is over, then it is time to call it a night," Seteth said. "It has been a long day for all of us here, and at this rate, tomorrow will not be much better."  
  
Claude was pretty tired, he'd admit. The hit he took from Teach earlier that day still kinda hurt, then there was the whole mess with Solon and this conversation. He's lucky he had a pretty big lunch, because there was no way the Dining Hall was still open.  
  
But he wasn't sleepy. Sleep sounded like a bad idea, honestly.  
  
So he left the classroom for Hilda's room, and knocked on the door.  
  
"Oh...hey, Khalid, it's...pretty late. Did that conversation just get done?"  
  
"Yeah. I hate to ask, but...it's a bad time for me to be alone with my thoughts, right now. Don't suppose you'd let me stay a while?"  
  
"Yeah, of course you can stay."  
  
She let him into the room. She went to the bed, him, to the desk. He sat in the chair and let out a big sigh.  
  
"Wow, that bad, huh?"  
  
"Ignorance is bliss, Hilda. If you really wanna know about the Crests that run in our veins, I'll tell ya, but...it's life-changing knowledge. You sure you wanna hear it?"  
  
"If it bothers you, it's bothering me. We promised to not keep secrets from each other, Khalid, so lemme hear it."  
  
This Goneril. His people's sworn enemy. The love of his life.

He hoped this knowledge wouldn't break her.  
  
"Alright, so the story begins..."

When he finished, Hilda looked uncertain.

"Ew," she managed, "we've been fighting you guys off with a bunch of bones this entire time? I mean, I always thought Freikugel was weird, but I didn't think it was actually that gross."

"Yeah, I'm not sure I ever want to touch Failnaught myself at this point," he agreed, "but I need your help on something. Princess told me what was done to her, and apparently Lysithea went through it too. Teach gave me the go-ahead to ease her into this whole mess, buuuuut I'm not real good at easing folks into things."

"Poor Lissie..." Hilda murmured, "yeah, I'll help. She'll want in on the Agarthan punching for sure."

"Right. My idea is to directly advertise the Agarthan punching to get her attention, but I'm not too sure about anything past that."

"The problem here, Khalid, is that you're not too good at subtlety."

"I'm plenty good at subtlety."

"No, you just think you are."

"Alright, you come up with an idea then."

"Cake bait."

He snorted. "Really, Hilda?"

"It'd work. We'd get to tell her things, and she gets cake."

"With promises of more at actual meetings? She might not come, otherwise."

"Yeah, of course."

So that's how it'd be done. The sweets fiend Lysithea von Ordelia would be brought into the fold with promises of cake.

And maybe cavities. But he thinks Lysithea might be immune to those at this point. She'd basically have to be.

But that would come tomorrow.

"Good night, Hilda."

"G'night, Khalid."

He left the room for his own, went to sleep, and dreamed of flying with Hilda on a wyvern of sugary scales.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cool thing about this Byleth making people talk to each other is that I literally can't spread the actual plot out for longer than like, 5 months. Like, the Battle of the Eagle and Lion is basically gonna be a footnote because everyone who matters is gonna be more focused on preparing for Shambhala.


	14. Of Biased Gremories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lysithea eats some cake, Dimitri writes a letter, Byleth complains about a pervert, and Gustave gets new orders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How about that summary, huh? Wacky and wild, ain't it? And that title! Very punny.
> 
> I might be overcompensating for how serious this fic has been lately.

Lysithea von Ordelia stood in the Golden Deer classroom, staring down Claude von Riegan, Hilda Valentine Goneril, and the cake they'd let her have in exchange for a conversation.  
  
This could only go well.  
  
Normally Hilda's presence would mean that the cake was, in fact, as delicious as it looked, but then she started dating Claude and now Lysithea had no clue _what_ to think about her.  
  
Oh, but the cake looked _so_ tasty. The icing, exquisitely spread and shaped. The cut away slice showed that the cake itself was so _fluffy_ that she knew she would love every second it was in her mouth.  
  
Claude picked up a fork.  
  
"I paid Mercedes a fair little bit of cash to make this thing, Lissie. If you don't eat it, I will," he said.  
  
The cake was made by _Mercedes?!_ That woman was so pure, her desserts so lovely, that she didn't _care_ that she treated her like a child.  
  
"No need," she told him. "What did you want to talk about?"  
  
"Well," Hilda began, then stopped.  
  
...  
  
Lysithea stopped three bites into her cake. It was absolutely _divine_ , just as she'd come to expect from Mercedes. And no nasty aftertastes, like she'd expect from Claude.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Alright, let's not play coy for the first bit, Hilda," Claude said, "Lysithea, we know about your Crests."  
  
Her heart skipped a beat.  
  
Then it pulsed in rage.  
  
"This is just like you, Claude, baiting me into−"  
  
"Lysithea," he interrupted, but not coldly, "you didn't let me finish. Yes, we know about your Crests. But we also know about the people who gave them to you."  
  
...How could he possibly...  
  
"Teach is special, Lissie. She's making a group of students who have been hurt by the same people who hurt you. I'm in it because I poked my way into something I wasn't invited to, as I do."  
  
As he does.  
  
"...Is Edelgard there?" Lysithea asked.  
  
"Yeah. In fact, she and Hubert were the first to join up, aside from Dimitri," Hilda answered.  
  
Dimitri?  
  
"What business does the Faerghus prince have with such a group?"  
  
"Duscur."  
  
Ah.  
  
That would mean...  
  
"Dedue is there as well, then."  
  
"And Felix."  
  
Ugh. The Fraldarius heir hated sweets, and that's all she knew about him.  
  
"What would a sweets-hating demon like him have in common with anyone there?"  
  
"Glenn Fraldarius, for starters."  
  
Oh. Right.  
  
She really should've paid attention to the news of Duscur more.  
  
"Is anyone else there?"  
  
"Dorothea, but she's mostly just there for Edie."  
  
Hm. No problems there.  
  
"Why would the Professor make such a group?"  
  
"Hoo boy, that's a long story. Let's try to keep things short. So, when Teach was born, Rhea did something to her that gave her a connection to Sothis."  
  
"Absurd."  
  
"Lemme _finish,_ Lissie. Sothis has the ability to turn back time. She's a goddess, she gets to do that. Okay?"  
  
"I...suppose that makes sense."  
  
"Right, so Teach has a connection to Sothis, who can turn back time. So Teach can turn back time."  
  
"Okay. But what did Rhea do to..."  
  
"Answering that question properly makes this story ten times longer, which Teach explicitly told me not to do, and I'm not keen on pissing off someone who has time powers."  
  
"Okay. So the Professor can turn back time. How does that connect to me?"  
  
"So Edelgard went through the same thing you did," Hilda explained, "and she's kinda been under the thumb of those guys ever since."  
  
Right, that makes sense.  
  
"And those guys really, really hate the Church."  
  
That made less sense but Lysithea always accepted new knowledge.  
  
"So in the future, those guys used Edelgard and the Empire to declare war on the Church."  
  
"And you guys know this because the Professor told you."  
  
"Right."  
  
"So why is Edelgard working with the Professor against them now?"  
  
"Because that war was preluded by this exact school year. A school year where Teach was Edelgard's professor. So Edelgard opened up to Teach and now Teach knows everything about them that Edelgard does."  
  
"Okay..."  
  
"And then the Professor turned back time to the start and decided to teach the Blue Lions."  
  
"Wait, why?"  
  
"Because Dimitri died in the war and that made Teach sad and she wanted to know why."

"She chose Edelgard, she should've followed through!"  
  
"She couldn't. Because she died," Claude argued.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"At the end of the war, Teach and Edelgard killed Rhea. But if Rhea dies, Teach dies. So Sothis turned back time and Teach used that as an opportunity to find a path with Dimitri."  
  
"Wait, why does killing Rhea kill the Professor?"  
  
"It has something to do with her connection to Sothis, because Rhea is also connected to Sothis, but in a different way. Now then, when the war started, because Teach chose the Blue Lions, she was on the Kingdom's side. And she won. But Teach wanted to save Edelgard, so she came back once more, but Dimitri remembered everything and together they started this group."  
  
"So, Lissie," Hilda said, "are you in?"  
  
All this knowledge was...much, and there was still stuff Claude wasn't telling her, she could tell. She felt that she had _maybe_ half the story.  
  
But if being in this group meant she could get her revenge...  
  
"Yeah," she said, "I'm in."

Dimitri in his room, writing a letter to Lord Lonato. It was difficult, he knew every part of his motivation, but how could he say "you were lied to and used by the Western Church" without sounding completely biased?  
  
Someone knocked on his door.  
  
He got up and opened it to find Felix.  
  
"Dimitri. Come spar with me," his friend requested.  
  
He wanted to, but...  
  
"I'm busy, Felix," he said. "This letter to Lonato is very important, and the sooner it gets out, the better."  
  
"Lonato? Oh, right, the Gaspard rebellion you're trying to prevent," Felix recalled, walking in and shutting the door behind him. "I thought Rhea had that handled by getting rid of the Western Bishop?"  
  
"Unfortunately, there's still the politics of Lonato himself that need to be resolved. And Rhea has exacerbated _that_ situation by deploying the Knights to 'keep the peace'."  
  
"Disappointed, but not surprised, by that, at this point," Felix muttered, "she's really bad at this. She'd be doing all of Fódlan a favor by handing all the administrative stuff over to Seteth and Byleth. Just do the ceremonial Church stuff, people actually like her when she does that, and not to badmouth your girlfriend, but Byleth wouldn't be as good at it, considering that she grew up completely isolated from the Church."  
  
"I agree on all counts, Felix, but that doesn't change the situation at hand," Dimitri said. "Once I get this letter delivered, Byleth and I will have to ride out to Gaspard, and we'll be gone for several days. We won't be able to get any updates on Agarthan investigations. Though, that reminds me, have you gotten any word from Rodrigue on Cornelia?"  
  
"Yes, actually. Unfortunately, your uncle's being an ass, and blocking the investigation for reasons we both wish we didn't understand."  
  
Ugh, of _course_ Rufus was doing that. Bias, monster that she was, had, unfortunately for them, chosen a shell that was _just_ his uncle's type, physically.  
  
"My father is trying to convince the fools in Rufus' court, but...well, I call them fools for a reason. Damn rats, don't know what they're defending. Well, Kleiman does, but he's a rat for several other reasons."  
  
"I suppose I have another matter to speak to Margrave Gautier about. Tell him about Miklan and Cornelia in one letter," Dimitri muttered.  
  
"Oh, Miklan. When are we gonna deal with that bastard?"  
  
"Hopefully soon," Dimitri said, returning to his letter, "though, if push comes to shove, I'll inform Lady Rhea and she'll just...do what she does best."  
  
"Sending out the Knights to mercilessly slaughter the enemy," Felix finished, "it's brutal, but he _really_ doesn't deserve much better. He's an asshole, plain and simple, and you and I both know it firsthand."  
  
"Yes...which is what makes this so difficult. Miklan is like this due to his upbringing, or lackthereof. He...didn't ask for this life. But...is someone so far gone worth saving?"  
  
"I'm the wrong person to ask that," Felix admitted, "as far as I'm concerned, Miklan Doraine Gautier can rot in Ailell."

"Honestly, a lot of the counsel you trust is of the same opinion," Felix continued. "Emotionality aside, it seems like it'd be a genuine pain in the ass to even come up with a situation where you wouldn't have to kill the fucker, let alone get it to work. It's...not worth the effort, Mitya. It's really not. Yeah, his situation sucks. Yeah, it's not his fault. But there's nothing we can do about it now. All we can do is move forward and make a Kingdom where that stuff doesn't happen anymore."  
  
"You're right, friend. I just wish it wasn't so."  
  
"Yeah. I get that. But listen, I just had an idea for dealing with Bias. Rufus might be Regent, but even he can't stop an investigation ordained by the Archbishop."  
  
"...You're saying Byleth and I should go to Fhirdiad and conduct it ourselves."  
  
"Yeah. I mean, you're already heading out to deal with Lonato, you might as well."  
  
It was a good idea...  
  
`Beloved, where are you?` Dimitri called.  
  
`Giving Shamir her orders on the Hrym situation. Why?`  
  
`The investigation on Bias has hit a stopping point, thanks to my uncle. We need the Archbishop's authority.`  
  
` _Ugh._ Guess I should've expected that one. Yeah, let's go talk to Rhea about it.`  
  
`Of course. I'll let you know when I'm finished with the letter to Lonato.`  
  
This damn letter. He supposed he had no choice but to give Lonato most of the truth: that an enemy of the Church had killed and replaced the Western Bishop, and had used his grief for Christophe to encourage him to attack the Central Church. He encouraged Lonato to think of how that plan, and his death, would hurt Ashe.  
  
Dimitri called to Byleth, told her he was done with the letter, and headed towards the Audience Chamber.

Byleth finished up with Shamir and headed towards the Audience Chamber.  
  
She got there just before Dimitri did. This really was just like Rufus. The man was a spineless pervert, and Bias _had_ to be using magic to keep that dress from falling off her. Absolutely ridiculous, this situation, but what could she do?  
  
Get Rhea to curbstomp the bastard's authority with her own, that's what.  
  
"Lady Rhea, the Primary Bishop wishes to speak with you," a guard said.  
  
"Let her in," she heard Rhea respond.  
  
She and Dimitri entered.  
  
"Dear Byleth, has something happened?" Rhea asked.  
  
"It's...more that something hasn't happened," Byleth answered, "See, during the war, we discovered that Cornelia Arnim was the main person responsible for the Tragedy of Duscur. And during the war where I sided with Edelgard, I found that Cornelia was actually an Agarthan by the name of Bias."  
  
"Due to the fact that Bias hasn't actually committed any crimes against the Church," Dimitri began.  
  
"Aside from being an Agarthan that exists, but that's beside the point," Byleth cut in.  
  
"Yes, well...Bias' only actual crimes are against the Kingdom, so I did not wish to bring the Church into this if I did not have to," Dimitri continued, "but my uncle, Regent Rufus, is blocking the investigation."  
  
"Why in the world would he..." Seteth trailed off.  
  
"Have you seen what Cornelia looks like?" Byleth asked.  
  
Seteth got an inscrutable look on his face. "Yes, but..."  
  
"Have you met my uncle?" Dimitri added.  
  
"Unfortunately," Rhea muttered.  
  
"That's why," Byleth said.  
  
Rhea sighed.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I await the day you take the throne with bated breath, Prince Dimitri."  
  
"I as well, Seteth," Dimitri sighed.  
  
"Unfortunately, it's another 8 long months, at least, before we get to do that," Byleth said, "which is why we're talking to you, Rhea. Rufus can defend the witch's nonexistent honor all he wants, but there's nothing he can do if you say the investigation goes forward, whether he likes it or not."  
  
"Yes, but with the Hrym investigation still ongoing..."  
  
"About that. In my absence, command of that falls to Edelgard. It's her Empire, after all, and she and Hubert know what they're doing, though I have told her to consult you and Seteth on any major decisions. And we're heading out to talk to Lonato soon anyway, so we might as well spend some time in Fhirdiad while Dima's letter gets delivered."

Rhea seemed to consider this, for a moment.  
  
"When do you intend to leave?" Seteth asked.  
  
"Tomorrow. Or as soon as possible, failing that," she answered.  
  
"I would ask that you take a battalion of the Knights with you to Fhirdiad," Rhea said, "knowing that you are going explicitly to confront an Agarthan does make me worry. Your safety is important not just to me, but to all of Fódlan, now."  
  
"I understand that, Rhea. But who to lead them during the inevitable talks with nobles...Catherine's a no-go, considering her history with the Tragedy, Shamir's occupied...that just leaves Alois and Papa..."  
  
"Not quite, beloved," Dimitri interrupted, with...was that a smirk on his face? It couldn't be, right?  
  
"Tell me, Lady Rhea, is Gilbert Pronislav available at this time?"  
  
Oh.  
  
Oh, this lovely, clever man.  
  
"Dima..." she murmured, also smiling now.  
  
"I am trying to give Gustave a chance to properly atone, beloved," he told her.  
  
"And force him into talking to his wife," she teased.  
  
"Well, if such an opportunity should arise, I would, of course, encourage him to take it," he said earnestly.  
  
"And use my position as Primary Bishop to literally order him to do so if we have to."  
  
"Do you not approve?" Dimitri asked, smirking again.  
  
"Of course I do. This just seems like a Claude-style set-up."  
  
"Actually, I'd say it's more like one of yours."  
  
"Are you two done talking amongst yourselves?" Rhea asked.  
  
Typically a cold question, but her joy and amusement was evident in her tone.  
  
"Yes," Byleth said, "we have...perhaps some minor ulterior motives for requesting Sir Gilbert specifically, but I do believe he is an excellent fit for this mission. Loyal to both the Kingdom and the Church in a way that none other among the Knights can claim. Is he available?"  
  
"He is, yes," Rhea answered, "and you should know that you have my permission to 'order' that Sir Gilbert stay in Fhirdiad for up to a week. Bonds of family are... _precious_ , after all."  
  
Rhea's eyes specifically went to hers at the end of that sentence.  
  
She knew why, too.  
  
"I'm not your family, Rhea," Byleth told her, "Mama may have been born of your blood, but that doesn't make you my grandmother. Seteth and Flayn are lovely people, but they're not my family either. My only living family is Papa."  
  
"I...see, child. I will call for Sir Gilbert and tell him to speak to you in your office."  
  
"Thank you, Lady Rhea," Dimitri said.  
  
As they left the Audience Chamber, Byleth spoke up. "Thank you for reminding me about Gustave, Dima. I'm now going to use my position as Primary Bishop to bully him into spending time with Annie."  
  
"I believe that is called an abuse of power, beloved."  
  
"And? You heard Rhea back there. She'd approve, and she's the only higher-up I have."  
  
"You are incorrigible, beloved."  
  
"That word doesn't hurt me because I don't know what it means," she giggled.  
  
`She knows exactly what it means,` Sothis told Dimitri.  
  
`Traitor,` Byleth snapped, playfully.  
  
`Liar,` Sothis retorted, equally playful.  
  
She couldn't wait to start bullying Gustave.

He couldn't wait to meet Lady Byleth.  
  
Well, he could, Gustave had grown very patient over the course of his 55 years, but to meet the next Archbishop, who also happened to be His Highness' beloved one, was something he could reasonably place on a very high priority. He had sought her out earlier, but the woman was incredibly hard to find, never staying in one place during his free hours. When he asked Lady Rhea why this was, she explained that Lady Byleth had already taken up some of the administrative duties of Archbishop, and thus was very busy, when that work combined with that of a Professor at the Officer's Academy.  
  
He even deigned to speak to the House Leader of Lady Byleth's class, the Imperial Princess Edelgard, for more insight, but was only told that the Primary Bishop lived at a fast pace, and this was reflected in her daily habits.  
  
He supposed that made sense, considering the woman in question was supposedly only 20 years old. The young had such a way of life.

The rumors about her corrobated this. People spoke of her as a strong swordswoman, as well as a capable professor, but in the same breath described a woman who was playfully teasing with her companions, favoring odd nicknames for even people as intimidating as Hubert von Vestra and Professor Jeritza.  
  
He supposed those aspects all made up the woman His Highness loved.  
  
But now, he had been directed to speak to Lady Byleth for details about a mission. An escort for her and His Highness to Fhirdiad, followed by an investigation, supposedly. He had been chosen by Prince Dimitri specifically for his loyalty and dedication to the Church and Kingdom alike, praise that Gustave was proud to receive after so long away from the latter.  
  
Perhaps this was His Highness attempting to offer a way of atonement, but he shouldn't get his hopes up.  
  
He found Lady Byleth's office, a study on the typically barred-off third floor of the monastery, and knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in," a female voice (Lady Byleth, he supposed) called.  
  
He opened the door, and laid eyes on the Primary Bishop for the first time.  
  
She, like her superior, had a young appearance but a mature demeanor far beyond what her physical years would suggest. Unlike her superior, though, she had dark blue-green eyes and hair.  
  
His Highness was also in the room, standing to her side. He had...changed, since he saw him last. He stood strong, resolute. And...those same signs of strange maturity showed on him, too.  
  
They would make him a good king, Gustave knew.  
  
But he was forgetting himself. "Greetings, Lady Byleth, and to Your Highness as well," he said, walking in and shutting the door behind him, "I was told that you have a mission for me."  
  
"That's correct, Sir Gilbert," Lady Byleth confirmed, "or rather, Gustave."  
  
...She knew, then. He supposed His Highness must have told her.  
  
"I would like to offer my apologies, Gustave," His Highness began, "I could not properly advocate for your presence on this mission without telling her, and when it came to this mission in particular, there was none other among the Knights I could truly trust."  
  
"None other," Gustave repeated, "what could this mission possibly entail that you would require me, specifically?"  
  
"We believe Cornelia Arnim responsible for the Tragedy of Duscur," Lady Byleth answered, "or to be more precise, a woman by the name of Bias, using dark magic to impersonate Cornelia."  
  
"That's...impossible. No magical impersonation is so great as to be completely imperceptible from the original."  
  
"Dark magic can be many things, Sir Gustave," Lady Byleth countered, "but I understand your skepticism. Allow me to try to convince you. You're, what, fifty years old?"  
  
"Fifty-five," he corrected, "but I fail to see how that's relevant to the matter at hand."  
  
"Right, fifty-five years old," Byleth continued, as if she didn't hear what he said after that, "Certainly old enough to remember when Miss Arnim was first appointed to her current position. Tell me, what was she like back then?"  
  
"She was..." he struggled to remember. He was a sharp man, but she was asking him to recall things from nearly two decades ago. "She was a pious woman. Dedicated to the Church and her magical research, hoping for a position at the School of Sorcery, but ultimately hoped that her magic would help people, a passion that redoubled after Queen Mira's death."  
  
"And tell me...do any of those things apply to her now?"  
  
"No...no, they do not."  
  
"Did she, perhaps, have a period of absence which she returned from, somehow changed?"  
  
"She...nearly a year after the plague ended, she left for Hevring territory, to visit some family. She was gone for three moons, and when we contacted her family, they said she never arrived. She returned to Fhirdiad, and...I suppose the first indicator of a change was in her research...her focus suddenly shifted from white, healing magic, to the oft-ignored dark arts...but that couldn't possibly...!" he trailed off, eyes widening as he spoke.

Lady Byleth nodded. "The Church has seen a few such cases over its many years, Sir Gustave..." she said. "I can tell you, what you have just described to me perfectly fits the modus operandi of an old enemy of the Church known as the Agarthans."  
  
"This alone would be grounds for an investigation," His Highness began, "but I have toiled to find the ones responsible for Duscur for the past four years. Duscur was never at fault. I knew that from the very start. How could I not? The weapons of Duscur are forged in unique ways, in accordance with their gods, and let me tell you, Gustave: every single weapon I saw that day was Fódlan-made."  
  
"Additionally, Rodrigue has told me that there is _no evidence_ to suggest that my step-mother's carriage was attacked," he continued, anger starting to distort his features, "information that I suspected, but did not know for certain. Between the distance between Patricia and Father that Cornelia would enforce, the seeming friendship she and Patricia shared, and her changes, I _cannot_ , in any seriousness, think the blame falls to anyone else!"  
  
"But my uncle is a fool!" Prince Dimitri shouted. "Lost in his lust for the witch, he blocks any investigation I would attempt to start."  
  
"So, under the authority of the Archbishop," Lady Byleth concluded, "we are removing Regent Rufus from the equation and conducting the investigation ourselves."  
  
"I would like to remind you two of the last time the Church stepped in on matters of the Tragedy," Gustave argued. "I will not deny that the evidence against Cornelia is compelling, but the Kingdom will not suffer _another_ false scapegoat."  
  
"Christophe Ferron Gaspard was a tragic mistake," Lady Byleth admitted, "but it is one we, in conjunction with the Kingdom, are attempting to make right. A second leg of this trip, after the investigation is over, will be to go to Gaspard, to speak with Lord Lonato and make amends."  
  
"I am at your command, Lady Byleth," he said, "when do we depart?"  
  
"Tomorrow," she answered, "Seteth is organizing the battalion you are to command during the escort. Prince Dimitri and I are, of course, more than capable of protecting ourselves, but when it comes to an enemy as old and wicked as the Agarthans, it is best to err on the side of caution."  
  
It seemed he was about to be dismissed, but...the woman he'd been speaking to for the past half-hour was far removed from the one the rumors spoke of.  
  
Gossip was just that, at the end of the day, but for His Highness' sake, he would ask about some things.  
  
"Of course, Lady Byleth," he responded, "but, if it is not too much trouble, I would like to ask about some more...personal matters."  
  
"Those matters wouldn't happen to concern her relationship with me," His Highness said, smiling, "would they, Gustave?"  
  
Ah. Caught. He supposed it was a touch obvious.  
  
"They would, yes," he admitted, "I will be blunt. The woman I have been spoken to today is a far cry from the one most of the monastery speaks of. Gossip is just that, of course, but all of it speaks of you as someone who will naturally become the next Queen of Faerghus. As...someone who might yet return to serve the crown, I must..." he trailed off.  
  
"Oh, so that's what this is," Lady Byleth replied. "I was told by Her Grace that you preferred a more formal manner of speaking, and so I decided to go through this meeting with that in mind. But, my typical manner of speech is indeed much more...familiar than this. If you would rather I return to that, to get a better judge of me as a person..."  
  
"I would, yes," Gustave answered.  
  
She _immediately_ relaxed, stretching and leaning against the desk. "Goddess," she breathed, "that way of talking was so _stiff_ , I felt like I could barely breathe."  
  
"It was almost unnatural, hearing you talk like that, beloved," His Highness agreed, "You called me 'Prince Dimitri', I don't think you've _ever_ done that as anything other than a joke."  
  
"You'll be hearing it a lot more once I become Archbishop," she told him, "might wanna get used to it sooner, rather than later."

Hm. This was certainly far closer to what he'd heard about.  
  
This was a young woman in love, who spent time with her students as though they were her friends.  
  
But if he looked closely, that mature bearing from before remained.  
  
He mentioned this to them.  
  
"Oh, that?" Lady Byleth asked. "That's the result of being Jeralt Eisner's daughter. Papa was Captain of the Knights of Seiros, he taught me how to behave. Just...not so much how to talk. I didn't really talk to much of anyone before coming here, so I picked up the habits of my students. And Dottie−er, Dorothea, probably talks the most, so..."  
  
Hm.  
  
"And this...Dorothea...wouldn't happen to be a commoner, would she?" Gustave asked.  
  
"Oh." Lady Byleth answered, wrinkling her nose. "Yeah. I'd say 'why does that matter', but I feel I already know the answer."  
  
"You very well might," Gustave responded, "it is unbecoming for a woman of your station to−"  
  
"'A woman of my station,'" she repeated, laughing quietly, "Goddess, people like you are so unaware. What if I told you that that same Dorothea was the love of none other than Her Imperial Highness, Edelgard von Hresvelg?"  
  
"It changes nothing about you," Gustave told her, "you are to become the next Archbishop, you should not−"  
  
"I believe you will find, Gustave," His Highness interrupted, "that you are not in a position to criticize how my beloved speaks to her friends and loved ones. You just had a lengthy conversation where she spoke in a manner 'befitting of a woman of her station', as you'd say, and you were the one who gave her permission to relax around you, for the remainder of the time you were in the room."  
  
That...he didn't like it, but...  
  
"Understood, Your Highness," he said, bowing before turning to Lady Byleth and repeating the action, "My apologies, Lady Byleth. I shall take my leave."  
  
She nodded, and he left the room.  
  
As he walked to the stables to prepare his horse for the ride tomorrow, he reflected on the conversation.  
  
It may not have ended on the highest note, but that was, admittedly, his fault. He'd overstepped.  
  
But those two had good heads on their shoulders. A touch passionate, as people with their authority go, but that could be a good thing.  
  
He would serve them well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: There was actually a scrapped Shamir POV section in this chapter where a plotline involving the Agarthans also being in other places aside from Fódlan was introduced but the problem there is that I literally don't have a way to resolve that without screwing Claude over so I got rid of it. I mean, I could've had them in just Almyra or maybe Brigid but that would be literally copying supersemantic's "A Matched Pair" which you should totally go read btw.
> 
> Also most of this fic has been super fucking serious lately, and I'm sorry about that. The Lysithea bit was supposed to be more fluffy, but the girl's too damn serious when it comes to the Agarthans. As she should be, but like, I need more fluff/humor, Lissie. Where am I supposed to get it now?
> 
> Rufus being a simp, apparently. And Gustave being a boomer.
> 
> Also the middle names of Miklan and Christophe were chosen solely because I thought they sounded nice. There's no like, etymology to it, I just chose them because "ooh fake word that looks like fantasy name let's use it"


	15. The Duty of the Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annette talks to her father, Edelgard asks Rhea about cake, Byleth goes to Fhirdiad, and Dimitri meets his uncle and has a dream tea party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 am chapter yaaaaaay
> 
> I was able to freely be a little less serious in this chapter so funnies are back yay

Annette was on the move. Dimitri had told her that her father was in the stables, preparing to leave. Again. But he was going back to Fhirdiad with him and Miss Byleth, for a while, so it wasn't all bad. Maybe her mother would get to see him. But she'd ambush him, this fine morning, and make sure of it.  
  
And then she tripped over a bucket and fell and any plans of an ambush died a sad, sad death.  
  
"Are you−oh, Annette," her father recognized her, "hello."  
  
"Hello, Father," she greeted.  
  
"Are you okay? That...looked painful."  
  
"Not really, but Mercie will take care of any scrapes I got. I wanted to talk to you."  
  
"I suppose Lady Byleth encouraged this...attempt at an ambush."  
  
"No, His Highness did, actually. Well, he didn't encourage anything, he just told me you would be here."  
  
"Hm. I suppose there's nothing to be done about it. What did you want to talk about?"  
  
Wait. Father was actually sticking around when she caught him? What?  
  
"Wait, you're actually letting me talk to you?"  
  
"...Lady Byleth has...essentially ordered me to not avoid conversations with you."  
  
She'd hug Miss Byleth at the soonest opportunity. She and Mercie would bake the biggest cake the world had ever seen and it would all be for her.  
  
"Well, I heard you're going to Fhirdiad."  
  
"Yes, His Highness specifically chose me as an escort for Lady Byleth's personal guard on the trip."  
  
"Promise me you'll at least talk to Mother once?"  
  
"I...shall try, Annette. I cannot make any promises, however."  
  
"Oh, about that, Sir Gustave," a voice called.  
  
Miss Byleth rounded the corner, and just as she promised herself, she gave the woman a hug.  
  
"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! Me and Mercie will have a cake waiting for you when you get back!"  
  
"Yes, you're very welcome, Annie," she replied, ruffling her hair a bit, "I need to talk to your father, now."  
  
"Oh, of course! I'll get out of your way." she said, detaching herself and preparing to sprint to the library for the best cake recipe she could find−  
  
"No, I think you'll wanna hear this, Annie," Miss Byleth said, before turning her attention to Father, "As I was saying, Sir Gustave, you'll soon find the opportunity to make many promises to talk to your wife, considering that once the investigation is over, your orders, effective at that moment, are to spend the next seven days with her."  
  
**_Really?!_** Mother would be so _happy!_  
  
"Lady Byleth, that is...a blatant abuse of power."  
  
"Tell that to Lady Rhea. The orders are from her, after all. I'm just the messenger."  
  
Lady Rhea would get a cake and hug as well, Annette decided.  
  
"I...very well. I know this is still your handiwork, but if the Archbishop herself has ordered it, there is naught I can do."  
  
"Exactly," Miss Byleth smiled. "It's for your own good, Sir Gustave, as well as that of your wife. If Dima left me for four years and never sent any letters, well, I'd be an absolute mess. I can't imagine she's faring much better...I suppose, being older, she's more experienced with grief and such by now, though. But still."  
  
"I've spoken with Fantina a few times, over the past four years," Dimitri added, "she's keeping a brave face, Gustave, but it's clear to anyone who really looks that she misses you dearly."  
  
"Goddess, grant me strength," Father muttered, though smiling. "I relent. You've convinced me, all of you."  
  
She was surely grinning ear-to-ear, at this point. She ran off to the library, to find good enough recipes to convey her gratitude to Lady Rhea and Miss Byleth...and found Edelgard, of all people.  
  
"Oh, Annette. What has you so excited, this early?" Edelgard asked.  
  
"Well, Lady Rhea and Miss Byleth are making Father talk to me and Mother," she answered, "so I'm trying to find a good enough cake recipe to convey my gratitude, then me and Mercie will make it."  
  
"Hm," Edelgard responded. "Does Lady Rhea even like cake?"  
  
...She didn't know. Oh no, how was she to convey her gratitude with cake if she didn't even know if Lady Rhea liked cake at all?  
  
"Okay, hang on," Edelgard said, "I can see you're spiraling, let's just go ask her, okay?"

"Wait," Annette said, "Why would you do that?"  
  
"Two reasons," the white-haired girl answered, "one, you will likely need someone else there to give you the courage to ask, and two, I have admittedly made myself curious as to what kind of cake the Archbishop likes. It's the sort of thing you don't think about, until someone brings it up, and then you can't get it out of your mind."  
  
"Oh, yeah," Annette agreed, "the last time that happened to Mercie, she ended up making a cake with cinnamon rather than sugar. Oh, that was so good..." she trailed off, remembering the taste of that creation.  
  
"That does sound rather nice," the imperial princess offered, "but we're getting off topic. Let's go find the Archbishop."  
  
"Yeah! Let's go!"  
  
Annette wasn't quite sure how she'd gotten herself into this, but it was sure to turn out great.

  
  
Edelgard wasn't quite sure how she'd gotten herself into this.  
  
Three weeks ago, she'd arrived in Garreg Mach hating the Church and everything it stood for.  
  
Now, she was about to ask Archbishop Rhea, _Saint Seiros herself,_ what kind of cake she liked, just to satisfy her curiosity and help one of Mitya's friends.  
  
She knocked on the doors to the Audience Chamber, Annette shyly lurking behind her.  
  
"...who is it?" Rhea's voice echoed from within, the small confusion in her tone almost unnoticable.  
  
"Princess Edelgard," she answered.  
  
"Oh. Do come in, then."  
  
She did, and Annette followed her. Rhea's small confusion seemed to skyrocket into bewilderment at the sight.  
  
"Princess Edelgard...what is Annette Dominic doing here?"  
  
"Well, supposedly, you and Bylie said something to Annette's father that seems to have wildly shifted his approach to familial relationships for the better," Edelgard answered, "and so, Annette decided that she'd come to the library in search of a cake recipe of sufficient quality to show her gratitude."  
  
"She ran into me, and as she explained this situation, it occured to the both of us that we did not know if you so much as liked cake at all, and so, to help a fellow student, I offered to come with her and ask you."  
  
Seiros, at this point, was attempting to hide her laughter, and failing miserably.  
  
"Forgive me," she managed, "but yes, I do like cake. My personal favorite is strawberry cakes, but I understand that those are currently out of season...what else...Oh, at a Brigid dignitary event in Hevring I attended some time ago, there was a cinnamon-based cake I absolutely adored...but I hardly imagine you could reproduce that..."  
  
"Actually, Mercie and I made a really good cinnamon cake a while back!" Annette cheered. "We could make it again for you, if you'd like!"  
  
"I could...hardly ask students to..."  
  
"This is not simply a student baking for you, Archbishop," Edelgard interrupted boldly, "this is the gratitude of a daughter of one of your Knights, who had abandoned her until this day, and would have continued if not for your intervention."  
  
"...Very well. I accept this gift."  
  
"Yay! I'll go get Mercie right away," Annette said, running out of the room.  
  
The Archbishop seemed to relax a touch, a small smile on her face.  
  
"I know this was hardly the sort of thing you expected this morning," Edelgard offered her, "but I had made myself curious. I thought I knew most everything about you, Seiros, but in that moment, I realized I had no idea what sort of food you liked at all. I don't know you, as a person."  
  
"I understand," she responded, "it is just a sadly amusing thing, to know that one who was raised to be my greatest enemy is more willing to talk to me than the one I..."  
  
"The difference between Bylie and I," Edelgard explained, "is that you have not personally wronged me. Not in this timeline, at least. Yes, you have done a poor job as Archbishop. Yes, the lies you have told about Crests have caused great damage to society that will take years of work to undo."

"But," she continued, "it is the duty of the strong to improve such situations for the weak. All I seek to do is right your wrongs. Thanks to Bylie, Mitya, and Claude, I no longer need to demonize you in order to achieve that work. And so, I will not, so long as you do not impede our efforts."  
  
"I see. If we are...attempting to be cordial," Seiros began, "then I would ask that you refer to me as Rhea. I cast aside the name Seiros for a reason."  
  
"I will," Edelgard responded, "but I would like to remind you that though you lead a very different life now, Rhea, Seiros, and whoever you might have been before even that are all the same people. If you lock away the grief of losing your family into a persona of 'Seiros', 'Rhea' will be unable to deal with it, but it will still affect her. It is best to accept all parts of yourself."  
  
"How...insightful," Rhea managed.  
  
"I'm just repeating something Bylie told Jeritza. She has been hurt by you in a way that makes her unwilling to truly help you, so it falls to me."  
  
"I see. Thank you," Rhea said. "Princess Edelgard, I can only hope that the Church and Empire regain the bond they once had."  
  
"That might be for the best," Edelgard agreed.  
  
If the person she was just a month ago heard this conversation, she'd go completely ballistic. To her, being so friendly with the Archbishop would be _unthinkable._  
  
But that is the other duty of the strong. To move forward in life, to grow as a person, until you can find a way to accept that which was once unacceptable.  
  
And if one knew of a group that would find something so unacceptable that they would harm the weak for unrelated reasons, then the duty to protect the weak came first.

Byleth Eisner had many duties.  
  
She had the work of a Professor, to teach and guide her students. She had the work of Primary Bishop, to help Rhea guide the faithful, and guide the Church to a brighter tomorrow. She had a duty to Dima, to support him and allow herself to be supported in turn.  
  
But above all, she had a duty to protect the weak. So when a young boy saw the emblem of the Knights of Seiros and said his village was being attacked by bandits, of course she offered her aid.  
  
"Beloved," Dimitri said, "this is not your duty to bear, but mine."  
  
"I disagree. This time in two years, at most, I should be queen. Faerghus will be just as much my duty then as it is yours now. Might as well start now," Byleth countered.  
  
"I am...not certain that the Archbishop is allowed to marry," Gustave said.  
  
"I've already checked that with Lady Rhea," she told him, "just because she doesn't want to marry doesn't mean she can't."  
  
Gustave seemed to consider this, for a moment. "Very well," he said, nodding, "I suppose she would know. Furthermore, I praise your dedication to protecting even the smallest villages. It will serve both the Church and Kingdom well."  
  
When speaking to Gustave, she had found a happy medium between the way she normally talked and the formal speech she used when first speaking to him.  
  
"I'm surprised you didn't have an issue with me saying I'd be queen in the future," she told him.  
  
"While I would ordinarily have an issue with such things, your father has agreed to the union and you are already courting," the knight explained, "and even if I cast any gossip aside, what I have seen first-hand of the two of you interacting would, without question, warrant a great deal of confidence that this will lead to marriage. An early awareness of the duties that would fall to you once that marriage begins serves you well."  
  
"Then let's begin," she said.  
  
The bandits were nothing, as she expected. Half of them fled the second the Knights showed up, and those who remained were the sort she could've taken care of on her own at this point in her _first_ go around, let alone after she won two wars.  
  
Her first attempt. Quite an unfortunate series of events, that one. She scarcely understood any of what was happening, then. The explanation of her speech she gave Gustave was actually the truth, just something that occured in another timeline.

The villagers insisted on paying them, and she only accepted after Dimitri told her that the cold weather in this part of the Kingdom had passed into spring.  
  
They continued onto Fhirdiad, reaching it just before sundown.  
  
"...It looks better," she murmured.  
  
`It does,` Sothis agreed.  
  
Of course it looked better than it had when they arrived to take it back from Cornelia, but it looked better than even when she had arrived for Dimitri's coronation. She supposed they had only had three moons to recover.  
  
"It's...only been a month since I left for the Officer's Academy. My uncle will be confused as to why I'm back already," Dimitri said.  
  
"I don't really care how the Regent feels. He's gotten in the way of indicting the witch who would doom the Kingdom," Byleth muttered, "and now we have to clean up his mess. He doesn't have the right to complain."  
  
"I would warn you off such words, Lady Byleth, if I did not entirely agree with the sentiment," Gustave responded, "but in the end, Rufus is Regent. Regardless of how you feel about him, it would not do to poorly represent the Church."  
  
Right. She was here as the Primary Bishop. It would be better to at least _attempt_ to be polite.  
  
`Dima...how does this feel for you?`  
  
`Very odd. To see Fhirdiad in the state it once was...the realization that we've gone back six years is hitting me all over again.`  
  
`Yeah...let's go take care of Bias, once and for all.`  
  
To save the person she loved from his demons.

Dimitri was doing this to save the Kingdom he loved from it's demons.  
  
His father would still speak up, during the occasions where he was more frustrated, so perhaps this would silence him, as well. But he saw how Bias would lead the Kingdom to ruin. He would not, under any circumstances, allow it to happen again.  
  
He entered the castle alongside Byleth and Gustave.  
  
"Your Highness! We did not expect you," a butler greeted. "And...is that Sir Gustave?!"  
  
"It is, yes," Gustave confirmed, "it has been a long while, Jakob."  
  
"So it has," Jakob agreed, before turning to Byleth. "But...who is this?"  
  
"I am Primary Bishop Byleth Eisner," she answered, "it's a pleasure to meet you, Jakob."  
  
"Primary Bishop! To think we would receive the next Archbishop with anything other than a banquet...terribly sorry, milady," he apologized, bowing.  
  
"It's fine, we did arrive with no prior notice," she assured him. "We're here to meet with the Lord Regent. Where is he?"  
  
"The throne room, milady," Jakob answered, "but Lord Rufus is not currently meeting−"  
  
"My uncle will meet with me," Dimitri interrupted.  
  
"...Of course, Your Highness. I shall guide you all there, and inform Lord Rufus of your arrival."  
  
They walked with Jakob towards the throne room, and the butler knocked on the grand doors.  
  
"I believe I said I wasn't seeing anyone," his uncle's voice echoed from within.  
  
"Yes, well," Jakob said, "His Highness, Prince Dimitri, insists on speaking with you, milord."  
  
A beat. "...Shouldn't he still be at the Academy?"  
  
"He's just a few feet behind me, milord," Jakob answered, "He's come with the Primary Bishop and Sir Gustave."  
  
"...Let them in."  
  
They entered, and Dimitri saw his uncle for the first time in nearly 7 years. He looked...exactly like he remembered, unshaven, somehow hungover even this late in the day.  
  
"Dimitri. What do you want?"  
  
"Right now, I'd like to introduce the woman standing next to me to you. This is Primary Bishop Byleth Eisner."  
  
"Lord Regent Rufus Chiron Blaiddyd," Byleth said, bowing, "it's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
His uncle seemed to see Byleth for the first time, and...then continued to stare at her.  
  
`Ugh, how shameless,` Sothis spat, as Byleth inhaled through her nose and seemed to struggle to keep a polite smile on her face.  
  
"We are here on Church business, Lord Rufus," Byleth announced. "Under the authority of Archbishop Rhea of the Church of Seiros, I am leading an investigation against Cornelia Arnim."  
  
His uncle's expression turned sour. "Really, Dimitri, how many times do I have to−"  
  
Byleth immediately shut Rufus down.

"I'd like to inform you, Lord Rufus, that Prince Dimitri's suspicions merely added to a long list the Church already had," Byleth said, still politely smiling, "and with Sir Gustave's own testimony, we had little choice but to take this course of action."  
  
"The investigation begins tomorrow, Lord Rufus," Byleth continued. "Any and all incriminating evidence will be brought to your attention at sundown during each day the investigation continues. Please keep this in mind when scheduling meetings."  
  
"Absolutely ridiculous," Rufus muttered, "Dimitri, did you really have to drag the Church into this? This is completely irresponsible−"  
  
"Good night, Lord Rufus," Byleth finished, cutting him off and leaving the room. Dimitri followed, and then Gustave. He heard his uncle sigh behind him.  
  
As they walked to a study to wait for their rooms and meals to be prepared, Dimitri pondered the conversation. Byleth's words had been just as polite as she was during that first conversation with Gustave, but it was almost condescending, this time.  
  
Once they sat in the study, Byleth sighed. "Goddess, there is being told about someone unpleasant and then there is actually meeting them. That was awful. He stared at my chest for 15 full seconds."  
  
"Even so," Gustave said, "you should not have interrupted him so much."  
  
"He was just going to complain. What he fails to understand is that his complaints no longer matter," Byleth argued.  
  
"Unfortunately, beloved, the problem doesn't stop there," Dimitri countered, "I'm afraid you've made a very poor first impression."  
  
Byleth looked confused...and then tired. "Oh, hell," she breathed, "the things I do for you, Dima."  
  
"I will never be able to repay them," Dimitri agreed. It seems his beloved had forgotten that she just spoke to her future uncle-in-law.  
  
`Love you, Dima.`  
  
`I love you too, Byleth.`  
  
`But if there's anything Bias did right, it was kill that man.`  
  
`He's truly insufferable,` he agreed.  
  
Two maids, Felicia and Flora, he recalled, told them that their dinner was ready, and guided them to their table.  
  
"You will be pleased to hear," Jakob said as he placed the plates on the table, "that Felicia had no hand in the preparation of this meal."  
  
Felicia frowned, even as Gustave failed to conceal his sigh of relief.  
  
"Is she...that bad?" Byleth asked, confused.  
  
"To be fair to my sister," Flora explained, "she's actually a decent cook. She can cook almost anything and have it taste nice. But, that's irrelevant when she can't get it to the table in one piece."  
  
Byleth gave the maid a blank stare. "Just have someone other than her carry it, then," she told Flora.  
  
"The problem extends further," Jakob explained, "yes, Felicia can cook most any meal at an adequate level...provided she does not run out of the requisite ingredients by spilling them on the floor."  
  
"Then have the ingredients she needs placed near where she'll be cooking," Byleth argued, "you guys are writing Felicia off when you've never tried to help her. She's clumsy. You know she's clumsy. Work around it. Let her play to her strengths, and cover for her weaknesses."  
  
Felicia was nearly pushed to tears by this unexpected kindness. "Thank you, Lady Byleth."  
  
"Teamwork is teamwork, be it on the battlefield or in the kitchen," Byleth said, "think nothing of it. Now, let's eat."  
  
"Of course," Dimitri responded.  
  
After the meal, their rooms had been prepared. Byleth's was near his, so they walked together.  
  
"What was all that with Felicia?" Dimitri asked.  
  
"I don't like it when people write others off without giving them a chance," she answered. "Also, Felly's nice. I like her. She's not stiff like the other two."  
  
Oh dear. The maid already had a nickname.  
  
"Any chance I can have her as a personal maid when I become queen?" Byleth asked.  
  
"I'm sure she'd be honored," he answered.  
  
He knew that with Felicia's natural clumsiness, this would not be the best idea, but if his beloved preferred her over Flora, then forcing Flora on her would not go well.  
  
They reached Byleth's room.  
  
"Well, here we are. Good night, Dima."

"Good night, beloved."  
  
Once he found his own room, he dressed into his nightwear, got into bed, went to sleep...  
  
And proceeded to have his first nightmare in over a month.  
  
It started out tame enough. His father stood, back turned to him. The screams were distant. Quiet, almost.  
  
"Where is our revenge, boy?" Lambert asked.  
  
"I am working on it, Father. The investigation will begin as soon as Byleth wakes up. With any luck, I'll have Bias' head for you tomorrow."  
  
"And then what of the rest of her ilk?"  
  
"The rest?"  
  
"The demons in Hrym. What of them?"  
  
"Edelgard and Hubert are−"  
  
"That witch and her dog betrayed you last time, and they'll do it again!" The screams grew closer, louder.  
  
"They won't, Father, but that aside, I must attend to Gaspard−"  
  
"To hell with Gaspard! To hell with a man who would betray the Kingdom! They're unimportant, boy! As soon as we have the witch's head, you must go to Hrym and turn it upside down until you _find them!_ "  
  
"Father, I cannot−" Speaking was hard, now, the souls of the fallen roaring in his ears.  
  
"Weak! Weak, as always! A king takes what he needs, and right now−"  
  
"Angry man goes away now," a very familiar, but impossible voice declared, cutting through the screams.  
  
"...What?!" Lambert spat. The screams faded away entirely.  
  
"Angry man is bothering my Dima," Byleth explained, now physically there, gesturing at Lambert, him, and then Lambert again, "so angry man goes away now."  
  
"Shoo," Sothis added.  
  
His father did indeed go away, though faded away would be a better description.  
  
"I...thank you, beloved, but how are you..."  
  
"The same way Sothis shows up in most of my dreams," Byleth answered. "I sensed you were having a nightmare, so I came to help."  
  
"I thank you," Dimitri said, "both of you."  
  
Sothis looked very proud of herself, now.  
  
"Well, if we are all here, then we should take tea," the diminutive goddess suggested.  
  
"That's a good idea, Sothy," Byleth agreed, making a table and tea set appear out of thin air.  
  
"How did you...just..."  
  
"You figure it out eventually, after spending 18 months with this thing demanding tea every night," Byleth explained, gesturing at Sothis.  
  
"Hmph! I had to do it myself the first 20 times," Sothis pouted, "you could barely make a tablecloth at first, let alone a table and tea set!"  
  
"Yes, but I'm much better at it now," Byleth said. "Now, I could probably remake all of Garreg Mach in just a few minutes."  
  
"Amazing," Dimitri praised, "absolutely amazing, beloved. Could you teach me as well?"  
  
"I suppose I could," she responded, "also, um, here's a mirror," she said, conjuring a floor length mirror.  
  
Why had she...oh! He looked like he did when he was older. Longer hair, a bit taller, broader shoulders...and one eye missing. He switched back to his younger appearance with some effort.  
  
"Aw," Byleth complained, "why?"  
  
"I like having both eyes, beloved."  
  
"Then just give yourself the other eye."  
  
"I don't know how."  
  
"Oh," she said, "well, that can be your first lesson. Turn back to your older self."  
  
He did, and then she expanded the mirror's width so that she could stand next to him and appear in it. She took his eyepatch.  
  
"Now look at the reflection of your eye. See the contours of the skin, your eyelashes, and the eye itself. Flip them, and impose it on where your other eye would be."  
  
It took some effort, but he opened his left eye after a moment and was able to see with it.  
  
"Well done!" Byleth praised him. "How is your vision?"  
  
"As good as it is with my younger self," he answered honestly. "This is incredible. To shape the fabric of dreams is something I've only heard of in children's tales. To think, I'm learning how to do it, now."  
  
"It's as simple as thinking about something and imagining it before you," Sothis told him. "It does take some focus, though, especially for large or complicated objects. Now, then. Tea."  
  
They took their tea. No need for milk, sugars, or waiting for it to cool, it was always as the three of them preferred it.  
  
Also... "Beloved, are you drinking Bergamot?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Mine is Chamomile."

"Dream tea is lovely. Any blend you want, all from the same pot. All from the same cup, even. Sothis likes Rose Petal Blend, but I hate the stuff. I only ever drank it with Ferdie, and even then, only once on his recommendation."  
  
"Ferdinand has excellent taste," Sothis said.  
  
"Yes, yes, he's quite aware of that," Byleth replied. "Anyway, Dima, we'll probably have to wake up in about an hour."  
  
It only occured to him then, that if he could alter his appearance, then obviously, so could she.  
  
"Beloved?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Why do you not wear the green colors of..."  
  
"Oh, the way I look after I fuse with Sothis?"  
  
"Yes, that."  
  
Byleth got a sad look on her face. "I'm going to be honest, Dima, I hate that look. I gained that appearance after losing my first friend, Sothis, because of a shitty decision, and the way Rhea looks at me when I look like that is just...ugh."  
  
"You don't favor that look, do you, Dimitri?" Sothis asked.  
  
"Well...I love you all the same, beloved, it's just that many more of my happier memories with you are..."  
  
"We'll fix that, with time, Dima. I don't intend to ever fuse with Sothis, this time."  
  
"Of course not. That might break this link we have, since, magically speaking, this link is with Sothis."  
  
"I'm...huh. I'm not real sure about that, Dima. See, the way the fusion works, is that Sothis becomes part of Byleth. I think that's what Rhea was hoping for, just the other way around. The part of 'Sothis' within me still exists, it's just that 'Byleth' can't talk to it, because that part is one with her. You might still be able to talk to her, since you aren't the one fused with her."  
  
"Perhaps," Dimitri said, "but it is not worth the risk to find out."  
  
"And that's the difference between you and Linhardt," Byleth responded, "anyway, it's almost time to wake up."  
  
"Wait, already?" Dimitri asked. "There's no way an hour has passed."  
  
"Time is accelerated in this place," Sothis explained, "dawn will come in 5 minutes."  
  
It was time to wake up, then. He woke up, started getting dressed, and almost passed up a shirt that would fit him now, but not when he was older.  
  
`Oh, right. I wouldn't recommend changing your form too much in the dreamscape because of that sort of thing,` Sothis told him, `it messes with your physical self-awareness. Even just one night, as you just saw, can cause minor, innocuous problems, do it too much and you start causing a complete disconnect between your dream self and your physical self, which is very bad for obvious reasons.`  
  
He finished getting dressed and walked out of the room to meet Byleth.  
  
"Well, Dima," she said, "let's get started."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally made the Dimitri POV section take up the entire second half of the chapter whoops
> 
> And I borrowed some Fates servants lol. I don't think I can tag Flora/Jakob and Felicia/Silas without making the Archive say "this is a Fates fic even though it ABSOLUTELY ISN'T" but those ships will become relevant in the epilogue.
> 
> Which is already planned, by the way, I just don't know which chapter number it will be.


	16. Unbiased Investigations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rufus has a somewhat meaningful conversation with Dimitri, Byleth gets some fucking Fates character backgrounds explained to her as the investigation begins, and Dimitri never dies as he gets his vengeance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter. Only took 5 memos. (Granted, all of them are full to bursting.) But it's also a lot. It's meaningful for every major character involved. So like, it can be short, y'know.
> 
> Also there's some like, actually gory bits near the end. Begins at ""Slow," Dimitri said," and ends at "Flora walked over". It's really short but I hear folks appreciate this sort of thing and the imagery is a fair bit more specific and graphic than "dima stabbed the fuckin witch like she fuckin deserves", like, I can see someone actually having an issue with the passage in question.

Rufus woke up hungover, like usual. He liked alcohol, but sometimes he considered taking it easy because of this.  
  
And then days like today would start and he remembered why he drank.  
  
"Lord Rufus," Jakob greeted once he exited his room, "I would remind you that Lady Eisner is conducting the investigation against Lady Arnim, today."  
  
"Yeah, I remember," Rufus replied.  
  
It was bad enough when Rodrigue was demanding this. Now, his damn nephew had dragged the Church into this, and there was nothing he could do about it.  
  
Speaking of the Church, that Bishop. Attractive, for sure, but definitely didn't appreciate his staring, which usually meant he had no chance, with someone as powerful as her.  
  
"Jakob, I'm going to ask you a weird question, and I expect a more or less genuine answer," he said.  
  
"Of course, milord. What is it?"  
  
"What's your opinion on that Bishop from yesterday?"  
  
"Lady Eisner is...a kind and thoughtful woman, yet she has the air of authority one would expect of her position."  
  
That...sounded about right, admittedly.  
  
"Also, milord, and I could be misjudging things, but she seemed rather close to His Highness."  
  
"Yeah, I got that impression too," Rufus agreed, "it's a bit odd, but it seems my nephew has finally figured out how to talk to women."  
  
"Garreg Mach has been good for His Highness in multiple ways, it seems," Jakob added, "he left this place a month ago a boy and has returned a man."  
  
"You don't think he and that Bishop already..."  
  
Jakob's smile became a touch more strained. "To be blunt, milord, I don't think His Highness the type to do that before marriage."  
  
Ah, that was still true. "The more fool he," Rufus muttered, "but Dimitri's always been a flustered mess around women. He's improved, but I guess he's still not there yet, huh."  
  
"I suppose not," Jakob responded, as Dimitri and the Bishop approached them, "speaking of which..."  
  
"Lord Rufus," the Bishop greeted. "The investigation against Cornelia Arnim will begin shortly. Will you be assisting, or..."  
  
"No," he answered, "there's some mess with bandits in Gautier that the Margrave is asking for help with that I need to sort out. Their leader is supposedly the Margrave's first son, disinherited for his lack of a Crest, so it's more political hassle than just sending troops out to take care of them."  
  
The Bishop closed her eyes. "An unfortunate tale," she sighed, "that bonds of family can be so ruined as to...forgive me." She shook her head. "My own father is very good to me. I could never imagine..."  
  
"Such is the way of the Kingdom," Jakob said, "it is indeed unfortunate, but this is how it is."  
  
"Maybe it won't always be like this," Rufus responded.  
  
Wait. Where the hell did that come from? Milon, or whatever his name was, may have had a situation very similar to his, but that didn't excuse banditry. He wasn't even a very sympathetic person, usually, so why had he...  
  
The Bishop softly smiled. "Perhaps not, Lord Rufus. I take my leave."  
  
Hm.  
  
As she turned and walked away, he turned to his nephew. "Dimitri."  
  
"Yes, uncle?"  
  
"What's her name?"  
  
Dimitri seemed to grow wary. "Byleth Eisner."  
  
"Byleth Eisner," Rufus repeated. He'd remember that. "I might be misjudging this, Dimitri, but if I'm right, you picked a good one, kid."  
  
To his surprise, his nephew didn't even blush, though he did relax.  
  
"Well," Dimitri said, "it is good to know she has your approval. We were...somewhat worried, after the conversation she had with you last night."  
  
So he hadn't misjudged! Still sharp, then.  
  
"It...wasn't the best first impression," Rufus agreed, "but there's no stopping a woman on a mission. The best thing a man can hope for is being able to keep up. And on that note, off with you."  
  
"Right," Dimitri responded, "good day, uncle."  
  
As his nephew walked away, Rufus smiled.  
  
"You're right, Jakob," he said, "the boy's grown."  
  
"I pride myself a keen judge of character, milord," Jakob replied.  
  
Rufus walked to his study, and saw, of course, a paper regarding the Gautier bandit problem on his desk. It was just as complicated as he remembered.

This was...probably the reason he started drinking, last night. Then Dimitri, Gustave, and Byleth had come in an hour later and he probably drank some more after that.  
  
...He had other work to do. He'd never trusted his nephew's counsel, before, but perhaps he could do so on this. He put the Miklan issue aside, and got to work on other things.

Byleth was walking to Bias' room.  
  
That was the intention, at least. She, in all honestly, had no idea where it was, and now she was in the kitchen, somehow.  
  
"Lady Byleth," Flora greeted, "what are you doing here? I'm afraid breakfast isn't ready yet."  
  
"I..." Byleth trailed off, not wanting to say she was lost, "I was looking for Miss Arnim's room, but..."  
  
"Lady...Arnim?" Flora asked, a quizzical look on her face that gave way to realization. "Oh! Right, the investigation. I'm...currently busy cooking, but..."  
  
"Sorry I'm late, sister!" Felicia said, coming into the kitchen, "I tripped over a few things−oh, hello, Lady Byleth!"  
  
"It's fine, sister. I'll finish the meal, meanwhile, could you guide Lady Byleth to Lady Arnim's room? She got lost trying to find it, and that's why she's here."  
  
"Oh, of course! I know this castle like the back of my hand," Felicia answered, "I'll lead the way, Lady Byleth."  
  
"Thank you, Felly," Byleth responded, then realized she had accidentally used the nickname she had for the maid. "Um, I'm sorry−" she began, blushing.  
  
"It's fine, Lady Byleth," Felicia assured her as they began walking. "You know, most people like you, who are only staying for a few days, don't bother to learn the help's names. So, to know that you've not only done that, but care about me enough to give me a nickname...it means more than you know, Lady Byleth."  
  
"Well, out of the three servants here that I've met," Byleth told her, "I like you the most. You're not...stiff, like Jakob and Flora."  
  
"Oh, thank you," the pinkette blushed, "if we are...being so candid...why exactly is this investigation happening?"  
  
Hm. An odd inquiry.  
  
The maid tripped over a table after she asked this, and Byleth took the opportunity to discreetly smell the woman as she helped her up.  
  
No burnt flesh smell, like most Agarthans had. In fact, she smelled like the crisp winter air...and felt just as cold.  
  
"Your skin's rather cold, Felly," Byleth observed, "are you an ice mage?"  
  
"Oh, yes," Felicia confirmed, "Flora and I are from Sreng, actually. Our family's bloodline is almost like that of Dominic. We rather pride ourselves on our ice magic."  
  
"If...if you're from Sreng," Byleth started, "and you're seemingly someone at least somewhat important, then why are you serving the Kingdom?"  
  
"That...I'd rather not say, Lady Byleth," Felicia murmured, "but I'll tell you that Flora and I didn't come here by choice."  
  
Oh. Oh dear. That...  
  
"Oh...well...Felly, I'm...sure you've noticed that me and Dima are rather close."  
  
"I...have, yes," the maid said, "where are you...going with this?"  
  
"Well...once Dima graduates from the Academy and becomes king...we...we haven't proposed, yet, but we both know that we're going to marry a few moons after that, at most."  
  
"That's wonderful news, Lady Byleth, you'll make a most excellent queen!"  
  
Tears pricked her eyes. Why...?  
  
"Yes, well...truth be told, Felly, I'm sure you're aware of the tradition of the queen having a personal maid..."  
  
"I am, yes..."  
  
"I had...intended to choose you, for that role. But...knowing that by doing so, I'd be keeping you away from your homeland..."  
  
"Lady Byleth..." Felicia said, "that sort of kindness is exactly why I'd be honored to be your personal maid."  
  
"You're missing the point, Felicia! I can't, in good conscience, keep someone away from their home, no matter how good a friend they are! I just can't!"  
  
Tears were running down her face, at this point. She...when was the last time she cried like this? It was when Edelgard died, wasn't it? And now she was doing it for a maid she hadn't even known for a full day. How odd.

`Your soul grows stronger still,` Sothis explained, `and with it, your emotions. Felicia's plight and her kindness have struck you in a meaningful way. That is why you weep.`  
  
"Lady Byleth...do you want the truth?" Felicia asked.  
  
Byleth nodded, covering her mouth. Someone, Dimitri, she realized, was there, helping her stand and offering a handkerchief. She took it.  
  
"You wouldn't be keeping me from home, Lady Byleth, because Faerghus is my home. Sreng stopped being that, emotionally, a long time ago. Just a few weeks ago, I met a soldier by the name of Silas...he makes me happy in the same way His Highness does for you. I'll repeat myself: I'd be honored to be your personal maid."  
  
"Call me Bylie," Byleth said, after wiping her face of tears.  
  
"...What?" Felicia said.  
  
"If you truly meant that...all of that...then call me Bylie," Byleth repeated, "that's what my friends call me. Well, one of them calls me Teach, but..."  
  
"Very well, then," Felicia replied, "Bylie. Shall we continue to Lady Arnim's room?"  
  
"Yes...let's go," Byleth said.  
  
`You've certainly come around to that nickname,` Sothis pointed out, `I remember the day you practically ordered your prince charming to never call you that. Now you've given it to a maid and actually ordered her to call you that.`  
  
`Hush, Sothy,` Byleth retorted.  
  
`That nickname doesn't wound me, child,` Sothis replied, `and it never did.`  
  
`Does this mean I can call you Bylie now?` Dimitri asked.  
  
`No,` Byleth answered.  
  
In the physical world, Dimitri seemed to deflate a bit.  
  
`She'll come around eventually, child,` Sothis assured him, `just you wait.`  
  
She...probably would, admittedly, but it didn't matter as they neared Bias' room. She could tell it was hers by the way even the hallway smelled of dark magic.  
  
"Well, here we are, Dima. Let's begin," Byleth said, opening the door. The smell got worse, as she expected.  
  
Felicia wrinkled her nose. "What is that smell?"  
  
"Dark magic," Byleth said, "I could smell it 30 feet away from the room. Let's head inside..."  
  
She barely took two steps into the room before choking on the residual dark magic in the air.  
  
"Felicia, get her out of here!" Dimitri ordered.  
  
"Right away, Your Highness!" Felicia obeyed, picking her up and carrying her out into the hallway.  
  
After a few moments, she could breathe again.  
  
"Are you okay, Bylie?" Felicia asked.  
  
"I'm fine now," she answered, "I'm...a fair bit more sensitive to dark magic than most. There's dark magic particles all in that room, Felly. I can't breathe in there."  
  
"Oh dear," Felicia said, "I've heard dark magic is frowned upon by the Church. Is it...really that bad?"  
  
"Just being a dark mage isn't a crime itself, or else two of my students would be arrested," Byleth explained, "but it's definitely not a good look. There's other things we suspect Cornelia of, but there's no way to find evidence of them if I can't even enter the room..."  
  
"Lady Eisner, Your Highness, breakfast is−" Jakob began, before cutting himself off. "My word, what is that stench?!"  
  
"Dark magic, apparently," Felicia answered, "it gets worse the closer you get to the room. His Highness is in there, but...Lady Byleth can't breathe in it."  
  
"Sothis above," the butler muttered, "I _was_ here to inform the two of you that breakfast is ready, but I can't imagine you have any sort of appetite if you entered the room with it smelling like _that_. Are you well, Lady Eisner?"  
  
"I'm fine out here," she assured him, "could you go get Sir Gustave and tell him to come and assist Dimitri?"  
  
"Of course," he said, "but Felicia, you really ought to get her to a balcony for fresh air. Goddess, this entire hallway reeks, when was the last time it was cleaned..." he muttered, walking away.  
  
"He's right, Bylie," Felicia said, "let's get you some fresh air."  
  
Felicia guided her to a nearby balcony, where they stayed for several minutes until they heard footsteps behind them.  
  
"Sir Gustave?" Byleth asked, without turning around.

"None other, Lady Byleth," Gustave responded, "not to patronize you, my lady, but if you cannot aid with the beginning parts of the investigation, I would recommend you eat something while you wait."  
  
"Have you eaten, Sir Gustave?" Felicia asked. "You...might not want to, after a while in that room."  
  
"I have, yes," Gustave answered, "I should be going now."  
  
"Right," Byleth said.  
  
`Dima, Gustave's on his way there.`  
  
...  
  
`Dima?`  
  
......  
  
`Sothis, why isn't he answering?` Byleth asked, panicking.  
  
`It could be that the dark magic particles are interfering with the connection,` Sothis offered, `but just in case, we should check on him.`  
  
She ran out of the balcony.  
  
"Bylie?!" Felicia called after her.  
  
Ran past Gustave.  
  
"Lady Byleth, what are you−" she managed to hear.  
  
And ran into Jakob.  
  
"Lady Eisner, I...would not recommend entering the room," Jakob said, sadness on his face, "the dark magic within aside, it's..."  
  
"No..." she breathed. "He's not..."  
  
Jakob nodded, morosely.  
  
She...she had to see Dima. Brushing past Jakob, braving the dark magic, even as she stumbled and Gustave had to help her walk, she moved on...  
  
And saw her love's body impaled with dark spikes.  
  
"No..." she murmured. "No. Get me out of this room."  
  
She'd turn back time and save him. She just couldn't do it here. She was too weak.  
  
Once Gustave got her out, she reached for a Pulse...and everything shattered, for a moment, before coming back together.  
  
"He's right, Bylie," Felicia said, "let's get you some fresh air."  
  
"No, Felly, I want to stay here."  
  
"Um...well, okay," she said, obviously confused, but did not vocalize her questions.  
  
And then Dimitri came out of the room.  
  
"Beloved?" He asked. "Did something happen?"

Dimitri was very confused.  
  
He remembered continuing to look around Bias' room for a few more minutes, before finding a hidden chamber with Cornelia Arnim's _corpse,_ of all things, perfectly preserved in a clear glass coffin.  
  
He broke the coffin (a strangely durable thing, for how it looked, but he had the Crest of Blaiddyd for a reason), and Cornelia's body went through all the stages of decay before it even hit the ground. As he stared at the skeleton that remained, he heard the sound of someone warping into the room.  
  
The woman he saw upon turning to the sound wore a Gremory's dress and veil, but had pale gray skin, like Solon and Kronya.  
  
"Your Highness," she hissed, "it's very rude to break a lady's things."  
  
"It's very rude," he repeated, breaking off a metal piece of the coffin to use a makeshift weapon, "to kill the king that houses you, Bias!"  
  
"Too true," Bias agreed, launching a spell that he easily avoided.  
  
He rushed her with the broken metal, hardly a lance or even a sword, but it would do, she was too stunned to even react, vengeance would soon be his, he would offer her head to the fallen, the dead could finally rest−  
  
He never saw the spikes that impaled him.  
  
"I suppose I should applaud your manners, Your Highness," Bias said as he died, "you certainly keep eye contact better than your uncle does."  
  
Darkness.  
  
And then light.  
  
"It is not your time yet, fool," Sothis scolded, "do stay aware of your surroundings, this time."  
  
And suddenly, he was back in Cornelia's room. The hidden chamber was closed, or rather, he hadn't opened it yet. Some of the things he had knocked off shelves still stood on them.  
  
This time, Sothis had said. Had Byleth turned back time again? He supposed it would be best to just ask.  
  
So he left the room and did just that.  
  
Byleth seemed to roll through a wide array of emotions in just a few seconds: relief, joy, confusion, realization, joy again, then realization again upon Felicia moving towards him.  
  
"Don't go back in there," she simply said, "not alone."  
  
`Did you...turn back time, beloved?`

`I did. I was on a balcony for fresh air, and I tried to tell you that Gustave was coming to help you, but you...you didn't answer, so I ran to check on you, and...Jakob must've found you first, because he tried to stop me from entering the room. I found you, and...you were in so many pieces, Dima. How did that even happen?`  
  
`Bias snuck up on me,` he answered, `there's a magical glass coffin in a hidden chamber in there, and it's preserving the real Cornelia's body. I broke it, and that must have alerted her, somehow, because she warped in just a few moments later. I...moved to kill her, but...my thoughts...I lost all awareness. She landed a fatal blow, and I died. Then Sothis spoke to me, and I was back in the main part of Cornelia's room, before I ever opened the chamber.`  
  
`Do you remember where the coffin is?`  
  
`Of course, beloved.`  
  
`Don't break it. We'll wait until Gustave gets here, and then you two can carry it out. If that doesn't convince Rufus, I don't know what will.`  
  
`That...is not evidence of any crimes, beloved,` he argued.  
  
`I don't know, the murder of court mage Cornelia Arnim sounds worthy of execution to me,` she countered, `and if Rufus doesn't do it for the Kingdom, I'll do it for the Church.`  
  
`Do you have the authority to do that?`  
  
`Rhea would be actually livid if I didn't so I'm going to say yes.`  
  
"Your Highness, I am here with Jakob," Gustave greeted.  
  
"Felicia, I told you to take Lady Eisner to a balcony," Jakob scolded.  
  
"She said she wanted to stay here!"  
  
"I did, Jakob," Byleth confirmed, "now, Dimitri, did you find anything?"  
  
"Yes," he answered, "I found a mechanism that opened a hidden chamber. I thought it best to wait until help arrived to properly explore it."  
  
Felicia disagreed, clearly, but did not say anything.  
  
"Very well," Jakob said, "I am loathe to let that stench sink into my clothes, but there is nothing for it. Show us this chamber, Your Highness."  
  
Dimitri entered Cornelia's room once more, and moved directly towards the mechanism. He pressed the button to activate it, and watched as the wall before him fell away.  
  
"By the Goddess," Gustave gasped, "where does it..."  
  
"Irrelevant," Dimitri said, "let's go."  
  
They entered the chamber, and found the coffin.  
  
"Four Saints, is that...!" Jakob exclaimed.  
  
"It is," Dimitri confirmed.  
  
"Lady Byleth said she had perished some time ago...but she looks almost alive!" Gustave observed.  
  
"Of course she does," a wretchedly familiar voice responded, "it wouldn't do to have a rotting mask."  
  
Bias stood behind them, still dressed as Cornelia.  
  
"Bias," Dimitri growled, "I swear, if you hurt either of the two outside..."  
  
"Unfortunately, I couldn't find the Fell Star and her maid," Bias sighed, "but I suppose their deaths will wait until after yours."  
  
"That would require you to succeed in killing us, milady," Jakob pointed out, "not an easy task. Especially if we happened to have backup."  
  
Dimitri caught sight of a light blue head of hair before a roaring chill overtook the room.  
  
"Apologies, Lady Arnim," Flora offered, speaking over the blizzard she was creating, "but this room _really_ needs to be cleaned, and I can't start with you in here."  
  
"Jakob," Dimitri held out his hand, "one of your daggers, please."  
  
"Of course, Your Highness," Jakob responded, placing a silver dagger in the outstretched hand.  
  
Bias had a thin layer of frost over her entire form. It stayed when she shed the skin of Cornelia, and tried to move towards him.  
  
"Slow," Dimitri said, throwing the dagger into Bias' neck with enough force to tear a hole through it, the dagger striking the floor behind her.  
  
Her head hung limp on what remained of her neck, then her body fell to the floor.  
  
Flora walked over to the corpse.  
  
"Hm," she said, "I wonder what her name was."  
  
The man he used to be would've said "It doesn't matter. She's dead," while pretending not to stare at the body.  
  
The man he is now simply said "Bias."  
  
And didn't offer the corpse a second glance as he turned back to the coffin, ripped it off the wall, and carried it out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bylie and Mitya aren't just the Garreg Mach Time Parents, guys. Hope this chapter made that clear.
> 
> Also dark magic is fuckin stinky. Like, my headcanon is that it smells like fuckin molten plastic, which, for those of you who weren't in a science classroom when some twit left their mechanical pencil on a hot plate for too long, is not a pleasant smell. Don't recommend it.


	17. Brighter Paths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth finishes up in Fhirdiad, and Edelgard cuts her way out of the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's longer than the last. You'll notice that it also took longer to write, and that's because I once again was too busy writing a future chapter to write the next one.
> 
> Told you this happens a lot.
> 
> But that chapter's one angsty motherfucker, so hold onto your hats for that. I'm actually like super proud of it, though.
> 
> Also remember how I said the last time I did this all the way back in like chapter 6 that the chapters I wrote would be chapters 19-23 or something?
> 
> Heh, no. Those are fucking endgame chapters. They're gonna be chapters like, 30-34. At least. And the angsty bitch comes in between them. So it's really chapters 30-35.

Byleth knocked on the door to Rufus' study.  
  
"Come in," the man said.  
  
She entered, and Felicia followed.  
  
"Lady Eisner, I...don't believe it's time for an update yet," Rufus said, confused, "has something happened?"  
  
"Yes, it certainly has," Byleth answered, "Prince Dimitri came across a rather large piece of evidence that confirmed something the Church knew from the very start of the investigation."  
  
"This...wouldn't happen to be related to Sir Gustave's testimony, would it?" Rufus asked, "I believe you mentioned something about that last night."  
  
"It would, actually. Sir Gustave's testimony was the final piece of the puzzle concerning Cornelia Arnim's behavior," Byleth explained, "though, I shouldn't call her Cornelia."  
  
"Why...not?" Rufus managed. "That is her name, is it not?"  
  
"No...no, it isn't," Byleth said, "Lord Rufus, it falls to me to inform you that Cornelia Arnim has been dead for sixteen years. The woman who has walked these halls ever since, wearing her skin, goes by another name entirely: Bias of Agartha."  
  
"That's...impossible," Rufus gasped.  
  
"I'm afraid it's very possible, milord," Byleth said, "the piece of evidence Prince Dimitri found was a magical coffin preserving the body of Miss Arnim."  
  
Rufus shook his head in disbelief, but fixed her with a stare of certainty. "Very well. Where is this Bias now?"  
  
"Dead in Cornelia's room," Dimitri answered, carrying the coffin. "She tried to ambush us."  
  
Dimitri set the coffin down in the center of the room.  
  
"Lady Arnim..." Felicia gasped.  
  
"Sothis above..." Rufus murmured, reaching towards the coffin. "How does a person sixteen years dead still look so..."  
  
"Like I said, Lord Rufus," Byleth responded, "magic preservation. The Agarthans, the Church's most ancient enemy, have many great technologies beyond that of Fódlan. This is just one of many examples."  
  
"We...we should bury her," Rufus said. "I'll prepare a Kingdom funeral for Cornelia Arnim. Lady Eisner, is there anything else the Church needs to do, or is the investigation over?"  
  
"It's not quite over, no," Byleth answered, "Prince Dimitri believes Bias responsible for the Tragedy of Duscur. If we should find conclusive evidence of that, then..."  
  
"No need," Rufus replied. "Viscount Valdes Kleiman was one of Bias' closest associates in the Kingdom, and he _certainly_ gained in the aftermath of that day. The Kingdom will investigate his affairs."  
  
"Are...are you certain, uncle?" Dimitri asked, clearly shocked.  
  
"Absolutely," Rufus answered. "I know I perhaps haven't done the best job as Regent, but I lost a brother that day. To find that it was people from the Kingdom and beyond, rather than Duscur...we should've listened to you, back then, Dimitri. This is how I'm rectifying that failure."  
  
"Of course, Lord Rufus," Byleth replied. "In that case, the investigation is indeed over, at least on the Church's end. Lady Rhea has taught me a way of clearing residual dark magic particles from a space, so I shall remain a few hours longer to do that to Cornelia's room, but after that, Prince Dimitri and I will be on our way."  
  
Rufus raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Just you and Dimitri? Is Sir Gustave not returning to Garreg Mach with you?"  
  
"No, we are not returning directly to Garreg Mach. Bias had men in the Western Church who were planning on inciting Lord Lonato of Gaspard to rebel against the Central Church. While said men have already been removed from any positions in the Church, there is still the politics of Lord Lonato himself to be addressed," Byleth explained.  
  
"I understand that such things are ordinarily left to the Regent," Byleth continued, "however, it seems you are going to be very busy in the coming days, and given the specifics of the situation, Lady Rhea has ordained this something to be dealt with by the Church. As for the other parts of your query, Sir Gustave has...other orders."  
  
Gustave sighed. "Of course, Lady Byleth," he said, "I shall depart for my wife's home as soon as you are finished with Cornelia's room."

"That is not what we discussed, Sir Gustave," Byleth pointed out.  
  
"I'm aware, but with your sensitivity to dark magic..." the knight argued.  
  
"Lady Byleth will be fine with us, Sir Gustave," Felicia assured him.  
  
"Right. We'll make sure she doesn't overdo it. Go see Fantina, Gustave." Dimitri said.  
  
Gustave sighed again, but left to obey.  
  
"Rather strange orders," Rufus observed, "how long is Sir Gustave to spend with Lady Fantina?"  
  
"The next week," Byleth answered, "and, as for your observation, most of the Church's higher leadership, myself and Lady Rhea included, highly values familial bonds. With most, if not all, Agarthan influence gone from the Kingdom, we no longer need a second commander for our escort. So the Church decided, on...rather a whim, really, to allow one of our Knights to attend to bonds left to fray."  
  
"Naturally," Rufus responded, "but is it truly necessary to _order_ him to do so?"  
  
"Unfortunately, uncle, you know as well as I do that Gustave is as stubborn as he is diligent," Dimitri explained, "so when it comes things like this, orders do indeed become necessary."  
  
"One of his best and worst points," Rufus agreed. "At any rate, Dimitri, there was something I wanted your opinion on..."  
  
Dimitri and Rufus continued to talk about Kingdom business as she left. She might've heard Miklan's name, but she wouldn't worry about that.  
  
"Bylie...you'll be leaving soon, huh," Felicia sighed.  
  
"I'll be back, Felly," she assured her, "you know that. And you'll have Silas, Flora, and Jakob to keep you company."  
  
"Oh! Silas had been deployed to Dominic, to deal with a minor bandit issue," Felicia said, "but he'll be back today! Perhaps you'll get to meet him, before you leave!"  
  
"Perhaps," Byleth agreed. "I would like to meet the love of my newest friend. Tell me, what is he like?"  
  
As she worked to clear Cornelia's room of dark magic, Felicia described, in great detail, a very friendly and dutiful cavalier in his mid-20s. Silas was of House Norin, an extremely minor noble house that served Charon. She wondered if Catherine would recognize him.  
  
She could tell just by Felicia's description how happy he made her. If Byleth did meet him, then she'd have a word with him on Felly's behalf.  
  
It took five hours, not including the twenty minute break she took to eat lunch, to clear Cornelia's room. The process got much faster when she was able to stay in the center of the room, but by that point, she was mostly done already.  
  
"Finally done..." Byleth sighed.  
  
"There's certainly some evidence in here of Duscur involvement," Rufus observed, "and some dealings with Kleiman. If I didn't have grounds to investigate him before, I certainly do now."  
  
"What did you do with the coffin, Lord Rufus?" Byleth asked.  
  
"Dimitri, Jakob, and I attempted to open it," the Regent answered, "so as to place Cornelia's body in a casket befitting a court mage. But, there was no visible latch anywhere on it. So Dimitri just...broke it. But between that, and the fact that the body within was floating in the air...Agarthan technology truly is something else."  
  
"I would warn you, Lord Rufus," Byleth began, "that usage of that technology is among the absolute highest crimes in the Church. I do not think you would do so, but...I suppose I should explain why it is so forbidden. But you must swear not to tell a soul."  
  
"I swear, on all of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and House Blaiddyd's good name," Rufus responded, kneeling.  
  
"Very well. Then I shall begin."  
  
"Seiros scripture tells us of a great and prosperous kingdom that the Goddess Sothis made with her many children," Byleth told him.  
  
"Of course, most everyone knows that tale," Rufus said.  
  
"Perhaps. But that kingdom is...a little closer than most people think," Byleth continued, "after all, we currently stand within it's borders. In the highest echelons in the Church, more knowledge concerning this kingdom is found. That kingdom was called Agartha, and it laid claim to all the lands that make up Fódlan today."

"You called her Bias of Agartha," Rufus recalled, "does she lay claim to some hidden, ancient ancestry from that kingdom, then?"  
  
"In a way. Agartha's journey to greatness was not at the hands of Sothis alone," Byleth explained, "early on, the Goddess granted the humans in this place her knowledge, and it was with their help that Agartha became the kingdom of legend written of in Seiros scripture."  
  
Rufus was silent, contemplative.  
  
"But, as time went by, the humans of Agartha forgot who gave them this knowledge, and grew arrogant. They struck at the Goddess and her children, and with great technologies, waged a war that continued for ages."  
  
"During this war, some of the humans of Agartha retreated somewhere, improving their technologies even further in darkness. Their descendants yet live to this day, and in recent years, have attempted a new tactic, one of killing Fódlan nobles and replacing them with their own."  
  
"That, Lord Rufus, is why we were here," Byleth concluded, "why these technologies are forbidden. Perhaps one day, after the Church has finished its purge of Agarthan remnants, we can allow these and other relics to become widespread once more, to allow humans the remedies and good these technologies once brought. But not until then."  
  
"Perhaps..." Rufus began, "perhaps these technologies should not be kept from people at large, as people can and should be trusted to do good."  
  
"I actually agree, Lord Rufus," Byleth said, "but I am but one member of the Church. Even the Church's most reasonable minds think that the Agarthans must first be removed before that step can be made. That, among other reasons, is why we are moving so fiercely against the Agarthans now."  
  
"Right, of course. I have just two questions," Rufus said.  
  
"Ask away."  
  
"One: are these technologies truly so bad?"  
  
"Have you seen the craters of Ailell?" Byleth asked. Rufus nodded. "Several centuries ago, the Agarthans attempted once more to destroy the Goddess' children who remain in this world. They did this by calling down a great pillar of light upon Garreg Mach. Yet, at the monastery's center lies a vessel of Sothis' power called the Holy Tomb. This power shielded Garreg Mach, and the pillar was redirected to the forests north of it. Ailell is the result of the damage."  
  
"I...I see," Rufus managed. "But...something you said brings to mind my second question. You said that the Goddess' children were still alive as recently as several centuries ago. Given the results of that attack, I can only assume they still live."  
  
"Correct."  
  
"You...I have little choice but to believe that you, too, are one of those children."  
  
"That would be incorrect, Lord Rufus," she informed him. "But upon my birth, one of Her children performed an action that blessed me with Her holy power and Crest. I bear the Crest of Flames and the ability to turn back time."  
  
"Turn...back time..." Rufus repeated. "Have you ever...used that ability?"  
  
"Many times. It is how I am so knowledgeable in spite of my short 20 years," Byleth said, "and to tell you the truth, Lord Rufus, I am sure you have noticed that Dimitri has matured far more than he perhaps should have in a mere month."  
  
"I...have, yes..." Rufus managed, "he, too?"  
  
"Not quite. By using the full extent of the Goddess' power to turn back time, I am able to return to the morning I awakened that ability. I have done this twice. Before I did this the second time, Dimitri and I had grown extremely close, close enough to be engaged. I...for reasons I will not explain...returned once more to the beginning, and found that the bond he and I shared was so deep that he remembered all. That is how we knew of Bias, for she had done even more unspeakable acts in the future."  
  
"Ah," Rufus said.  
  
His mood shifted.  
  
"So that's how that boy learned how to talk to women so quickly," he joked, grinning.  
  
"Yep, he's had a few years to figure it out," Byleth responded, returning the grin. "Normally, at this point, he's just as much of a flustered mess as you remember him."

"Beloved! Stop teasing me with my uncle when I'm not around," Dimitri complained.  
  
"Oh, so I can do it when you _are_ around?" Byleth asked.  
  
"No! Stop telling him stories about me!" Dimitri shouted.  
  
"Oh, that's a shame," Byleth said, "I was just about to tell him about the time you were carrying a teapot and broke it because your hands were shaking so much. My shirt was practically see-through."  
  
"Oh, I can only imagine the blushing," Rufus responded.  
  
"However much of a mess you think he was at that moment, the reality was twice as bad," Byleth told him.  
  
"I'm leaving the room!" Dimitri declared, blushing bright red.  
  
"I thank you, Rufus, for your contribution," Byleth said, laughing, "I haven't been able to get him that good in a while."  
  
"Pleased to be of service," Rufus replied, bowing, "and I suppose I ought to find Mira's ring so Dimitri can give it to you once he proposes once more."  
  
"Assuming he hasn't already done so himself," Byleth responded, "we've already decided that we're marrying soon after Dima graduates."  
  
"You're already engaged, then?" Rufus asked.  
  
"No. Don't tell him, but I'm going to propose to him at the Winter Ball in the Goddess Tower," Byleth whispered, "he won't beat me to it this time."  
  
"He very well might," Felicia said.  
  
"Felly! When did you get here?" Byleth asked, genuinely surprised.  
  
"Just a moment ago," the maid answered. "I don't know what you meant by 'this time' but I do know that mutual proposals are lovely. That's what my parents ended up doing on accident."  
  
"They are indeed rather nice," Rufus agreed, "but I'm sure you came in here for a reason, Felicia."  
  
"Oh! Right! Lady Byleth, your stuff is ready to go whenever you depart."  
  
"Guess we're about to leave, then," Byleth said.  
  
She hugged Felicia. "I'll miss you, Felly."  
  
"I'll miss you too, Bylie," Felicia responded, "but I'll be right here when you come back."  
  
"Hopefully not _right_ here," Byleth said, "if I never have to come back in this room again it'll be too soon."  
  
"I wish I could say the same," Flora replied, "but I'm going to be asked to clean this room regularly, so I can't."  
  
"By the way, Lord Rufus," Jakob began, "you should know that Sir Gustave made a certain special request when it came to His Highness' luggage, and that it has been completed."  
  
"That's good," Rufus responded, "if he hadn't, I was going to make that request myself."  
  
"You can stop playing coy, now," Byleth told them, "I know full well that you're talking about an engagement ring."  
  
"Yes, but it's the ceremony of the thing," Jakob argued, "if you've figured it out, then that's the end of that little game, but if you hadn't, you'd have a pleasant surprise."  
  
"I'll see you out of the castle, Lady Byleth," Felicia said, before whispering "I'm not quite ready to say goodbye yet."  
  
"Of course, Felly," Byleth replied, "lead the way."  
  
Once they reached the exit, they saw a man waiting outside, who immediately noticed them. Or rather, noticed her companion.  
  
"Felicia!" He greeted, running over.  
  
Was this...?  
  
"Silas! Sorry I kept you waiting," Felicia offered.  
  
It _was._ Silas Norin, in the flesh.  
  
"I wasn't waiting long," Silas assured the maid, "but, who's this?"  
  
"I'm Primary Bishop Byleth Eisner," she introduced herself, "and over the past couple days, I've become rather close to Felly, here."  
  
"That's lovely," Silas cheered, "having another friend is always good."  
  
"Yes, it certainly is, Silas," Byleth replied, walking around the cavalier. "You know, she's told me an awful lot about you. And I just want you to know..."  
  
She was behind him now, and put him in a chokehold.  
  
 _"That if you break her heart, I will break your fucking neck,"_ she whispered. _"Do I make myself clear, Norin?"_  
  
"Cr-crystal," he managed.  
  
"Bylie! Don't threaten him," Felicia pouted.  
  
"Just looking out for you, Felly," she offered, walking away.  
  
"You really do care for her," Dimitri observed as they got on their horses.  
  
"Of course I do," Byleth said, "she's my friend."  
  
But...  
  
"Y'know," Byleth murmured, "I never once saw her in the Fhirdiad that was."

"It was a long six years," Dimitri replied, "they could've simply fled."  
  
"I suppose," Byleth sighed. "I just hope that wherever she was, she was happy."  
  
They rode off to Gaspard, away from new friends and old shadows.

Edelgard sat alone in her room, brushing her hair. This was one of the few times in which she could relax.  
  
Which was why her hand axe sat next to her. She never went unarmed, these days.  
  
But even so, she managed to relax. Perhaps she could use one of the hair clips Dorothea had bought her, today. She perused the drawer in which she kept them. There was a red one with an eagle on it. It was the only one they had bought that she had wanted for herself, as it was inspired by the Black Eagles. Yes, she'd use that one.  
  
As she reached for it, the sound of warp magic came from behind her.  
  
She turned around. Thales. Not even masquerading as her uncle, now.  
  
She...might be in trouble.  
  
"Flame Emperor...tell me, what is happening?" Thales asked.  
  
"I should think you know, Thales," she answered, "after all, you are the one with spies everywhere."  
  
"Indeed...tell me, what has happened to Solon?"  
  
"I do not know that name, Thales," she lied. "Is that the operative you have here?"  
  
"Hm. Perhaps I should have informed you...no matter. Yes, Solon was our main actor at Garreg Mach," he told her, "he was Tomas, the bookkeeper. What happened to him?"  
  
"I do not know, Thales," Edelgard lied again, "Tomas has been missing for a few days. Everyone said such things were somewhat frequent, and that he always returned, so I did not fret."  
  
"Perhaps you should have, Flame Emperor," Thales scolded. "Do you know what he said to me before this disappearance?"  
  
Edelgard knew this was a rhetorical question, and so stayed silent. Of course she didn't know. How could she?  
  
"He spoke of the Fell Star. A woman the beasts call Byleth. He said she was speaking to you. Frequently. I told him to find out what she knew, and remove her if an opportunity came up. _What happened to him, girl?_ "  
  
"I do not know, Thales," Edelgard lied, once more, "if Solon has not spoken to you since then, then it is likely that he found an opportunity to remove her came up, but he underestimated her strength and perished in the attempt."  
  
She was...perhaps stretching a bit too far, now.  
  
"You lie, girl," Thales spat, "perhaps I need to remind you of what happens when you make that mistake. You will show me exactly where Solon is, and if he lives, he will have a say in your punishment. If he doesn't, the one I have in mind shall double."  
  
She froze up in fear for a moment. Thales approached her, reaching for her with one hand...  
  
Suddenly, that hand was on the floor.  
  
"Sorry for intruding, Dagger Girl," Felix said, holding a sword red with blood, "but I had a weird feeling something bad was about to happen. Looks like I was right."  
  
When had he come in? It didn't matter, she supposed.  
  
"Foolish beast...you will pay the price for that..." Thales gritted, "and you, girl, will suffer for this betrayal...perhaps it's time your Crest of Seiros be made into a Majo−"  
  
Her hand axe found purchase in her tormentor's skull.  
  
 _"Putredo in infernum,"_ she growled.  
  
Thales' body fell to the ground.  
  
But she wanted to make certain it was dead.  
  
She drew the dagger from her stepbrother out of its sheath.  
  
"The old dagger, huh," she heard Felix muse.  
  
She ignored him. Both of her Crests roared in her veins. Holding the dagger point-back in one hand, she straddled the body, held the dagger over her head with both hands...  
  
And plunged it into Thales' heart, piercing through his armor with her Crests.  
  
"It is over now, Mitya," she breathed, pulling out the dagger and standing, only to fall to her bed nearby, dropping the dagger.  
  
"I have cut my own path."  
  
Felix stood there for a moment.  
  
"Right," he started, looking at the body. "I guess I'll go get Dedue or Hilda, get this trash out of here. Can you talk to Rhea about this? I'm sure Claude would do it for you if you can't."  
  
"I'll talk to her," Edelgard told him. "Just...give me a moment."  
  
He stared at her for a moment.

"I'm gonna get Dorothea, too. You...probably need her, right now."  
  
That was...probably for the best. But...  
  
"No need," she said, sitting up, "I'll find her myself."  
  
"Alright," Felix responded, leaving the room, but paused. "One more thing. What did you say to him?"  
  
What was he...Oh.  
  
"Rot in hell," Edelgard answered. "The one phrase I ever bothered to learn the Agarthan for."  
  
"Nice," Felix praised, leaving.  
  
She looked at the body. This was the thing that had tormented her for 7 long years.  
  
And now it was dead.  
  
She stood up, grabbed the hair pin she'd been pondering before this happened, and nestled it into her hair, creating a strange side-ponytail.  
  
She viewed herself in the mirror. It was a good look, she decided. She might adjust it later, but she'd wear her hair like this from now on.  
  
The imperial princess walked out of her room a new woman, the only thing on her mind hope that her love would like her new hairstyle.  
  
She ran into Dorothea outside the dining hall.  
  
"Oh, hi, Edie! I see you did something different with your hair. I rather like it," Dorothea said.  
  
Good. She liked the hairstyle. That was that question answered.  
  
All the other thoughts came tumbling down on her. She crumbled under the weight.  
  
"Edie? Is something wrong?" Dorothea asked.  
  
"I killed him..." Edelgard breathed, a hand over her mouth.  
  
"You...what?"  
  
"I just...he said something about my Crest of Seiros and I just...grabbed my axe and threw it without even thinking..."  
  
"Edie, slow down, who did you kill?"  
  
"Thales."  
  
"Okay," Dorothea sighed in relief, "okay, good. I'm going to take you to my room so we can talk. Is that okay?"  
  
"Yes...yes, that's fine."  
  
They made it to Dorothea's room. Or at least, she assumed it was Dorothea's. She knew from having to get the boy up that Linhardt's had a lot of books in it, and those weren't here. Petra's had an animal skin rug from her home. Was Caspar on the first floor or the second? She couldn't remember, right now.  
  
"Okay, Edie," Dorothea said, "are you okay to talk right now, or do you just need someone with you?"  
  
"For now, I..." she trailed off.  
  
That was all Dorothea needed to hear, apparently. They sat on the bed in silence for a while.  
  
Eventually, Edelgard's head made its way into Dorothea's lap. The songstress softly stroked her hair.  
  
This peaceful moment lasted an unknown amount of time before a knock came to Dorothea's door.  
  
"I have to answer that, Edie," Dorothea murmured.  
  
She was moved, slightly, by Dorothea, so she could answer the door.  
  
"Hey," Claude's voice came in, "is...she in here?"  
  
"Yeah, she's..." Dorothea's head turned to look at her, then back to Claude. "What do you need?"  
  
"Felix told me to check on her. Like it or not, this is something Rhea needs to know about _now._ Is she in any state to do that?"  
  
"See for yourself," Dorothea answered, moving out of the doorway.  
  
Claude's head poked in. She looked at him.  
  
"Damn," he sighed, "I...wish I could help, but..."  
  
"Just...keep her going until Teach gets back, at least," Claude muttered, "I'll get Hilda to bring her dinner here."  
  
"I'm not...that far gone..." she managed, "I lived through those days in Enbarr...this is nothing."  
  
"Good to know you can talk, at least," Claude said, "but seriously, Edelgard, take as much time as you need. Just make sure to come back to us."  
  
He left.  
  
"What...time is it?"  
  
"Late in the afternoon," Dorothea answered.  
  
It had still been morning when they came in here.  
  
"Edie..."  
  
"I'm...ready to talk about it now, Thea."  
  
"Okay. I'll listen."  
  
And so she began.  
  
"I was just...in my room, doing my hair, when I heard warp magic. He...asked me what was happening, why they were being overwhelmed so abruptly."  
  
"I was playing the fool, not admitting to knowing anything more than what he had told me. This worked, until he told me that Solon had gone silent after being told to go after Bylie."  
  
"I suggested that Solon had simply perished, having underestimated Bylie. I thought, for a moment, that I had perhaps pushed too far, and...I was correct."

"He knew I had lied, that I knew exactly what had happened to Solon, that I'd be punished for lying..." she trailed off, remembering some of the other punishments she'd suffered.  
  
They were...truly awful. Nothing that would kill her, but everything short of that was on the table and used...  
  
"Edie? Edie, come back to me, you're not there anymore," Dorothea said.  
  
"Right...thank you, Thea. He reached to grab me, and...I don't know when he came in, but Felix was suddenly there, and had cut off Thales' hand with a sword...Thales was angry at this, and said he'd kill Felix, and change my Crest of Seiros, and I just..."  
  
"You snapped," Dorothea finished.  
  
"I...I couldn't go through something like that _again,_ Thea. It would break me. So I grabbed my axe and suddenly it was in his skull."  
  
"You used both of your Crests," Felix said.  
  
"How do you do that?! Enter rooms without anyone in them noticing?!" Edelgard shouted.  
  
"Out, Fe," Dorothea ordered.  
  
"Yeah, that sounds about right," Felix admitted. "I came here to tell you something, though. Thales' body has been disposed of, and Rhea knows it. She's...willing to give you all the time you need to get yourself back together."  
  
"Okay. That's nice. Now out," Dorothea repeated.  
  
"I'm going," Felix responded.  
  
The door shut.  
  
"Really, the nerve of some people," Dorothea muttered. "I'm not going to ask what Fe meant by 'both of your Crests'. Not right now. But you said that Thales was going to change your Crest of Seiros, somehow, so I'm just going to assume it's their fault."  
  
"You've...probably pieced most of it together, by now. I'll...just say that the story that my siblings died of disease is a lie."  
  
"Oh...oh, Edie, I'm so sorry," Dorothea offered, holding her. "It's okay. You're here now. I'm here now. We're okay, together."  
  
They were okay.  
  
"That's...not the end of the story, Thea," Edelgard said, "something came over me, and I knelt over the body, and...with the dagger Mitya gave me, I stabbed him as forcefully as I could, with both of my Crests. Pierced his heart."  
  
"That's what he gave it to you for, Edie," Dorothea murmured, "so you could cut your own path."  
  
And what a bright path it was, now.

"This path is bright due to everyone's presence, Thea. But you specifically give me the strength to walk it."

"Happy to help, Edie. I love you. Take as much strength as you need."

"Thank you...Thea. I love you too."

She'd find a way to lead others down this path eventually.

"Dinner, Edie?"

But for now, it would be enough to follow someone else.

"Lead the way, Thea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually really pleased with the direction this fic's taken. It's taken a life of it's own, almost. At the start, I was worried about ripping off supersemantic's "A Matched Pair" (which, again, go read that, because it's good if a little fucking lengthy at this point, as in, 48 chapters and 300K words lengthy) because that's where I first got the idea for this turn-back-time shit.
> 
> I'm no longer worried about that. Yes, I do shy away from concepts just because I don't really know how to write them without stepping on that fic's toes, but I'm no longer going about the entire deal like that.
> 
> It's freeing.
> 
> Also holy shit, like, almost 100 kudos, 24 bookmarks, and 2500 hits, holy fuck thanks guys. I'll once again say that I'm writing this just because I wanna write it and no one else will, but the fact that my first fic is like, actually kinda doing numbers feels pretty fucking good.
> 
> Also, the "Agarthan" language I use in this fic is just Latin. It translates to exactly what Elly says it does. I also use Arabic for Almyran in those endgame chapters. They seem to fit the vibes each place gives off.


	18. Blades in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert attends an emergency meeting, Felix tries to figure out how to dispose of a body, and Shamir interrogates a man who's just kinda given up on life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edgy chapter name for edgy characters. Hweh.
> 
> Also, to be clear, the Hubert and Shamir POV sections occur on the same day. The Felix one occurs the day prior.

Hubert was giving Shamir orders on someone to tail when the greatest news he had ever heard came.  
  
"Follow the man, lead him to a cliffside, and from there, standard procedures," he said.  
  
"Of course," Shamir responded. She looked up at something behind him.  
  
Shamir wasn't so distractable that she would do that for just anything. He turned around and followed her gaze to find a pegasus and it's rider. He only had two of those at Garreg Mach, so this must be important...  
  
"Report," he ordered once the woman landed.  
  
"Lord Riegan has called for an emergency meeting," she said, "the Archbishop and her aid will be there, but Lady Eisner and Lord Blaiddyd will not."  
  
An emergency meeting. Claude would not do this lightly.  
  
"Did he inform you of the subject?"  
  
"Just one of them," she answered, "Thales has perished by Her Highness' hand."  
  
He couldn't stop the smile that rose to his face.  
  
How **_lovely._** The Agarthans no longer had any ground to stand on in the Empire.  
  
"Very well. I will be there as quickly as possible."  
  
The woman got back on her mount and took off.  
  
"Do you want to tell me what any of that was?" Shamir asked.  
  
Hm. Should he?  
  
The knowledge that the Agarthan leader had been killed by someone they thought was their pet would likely affect how much her target was willing to talk.  
  
"It seems that Thales, the leader of the Agarthans, tried to get Lady Edelgard to obey him," he answered, "naturally, she did not. You may, of course, use this knowledge in the interrogation at your discretion."  
  
"Understood," the sniper said.  
  
He placed a Warp sigil where he stood for an easy return. Getting to Garreg Mach would take three warps, from here. Perhaps he should save on magic, simply warp to Myrrdin and take a carriage through Gloucester from there. It would delay him by a few hours, but falling unconscious from magic depletion during the meeting wouldn't do.  
  
He did precisely this. Ordering a carriage with no reservation was a touch expensive, even for him, but his reasons for making the decision still stood. He arrived at the monastery early in the afternoon.  
  
"Hubert!" Ferdinand greeted. "You've finally arrived. The meeting will start as soon as we enter the room."  
  
"We?" Hubert repeated. "You're attending as well?"  
  
"My presence there was...debated, as I'm sure you can imagine," Ferdinand explained, "I understand that there is _much_ to Lady Eisner that I do not know, among other things the other members of this council are privy to, but ultimately, Her Highness said that my influence in the Empire, along with my full understanding of this situation, warrants my presence."  
  
"Very well. If those are her reasons, I cannot disagree," Hubert replied. "Let us away, then."  
  
"Right!" Ferdinand said.  
  
When they got in the room, Hilda sighed.  
  
"Finally!" she shouted.  
  
"I would remind you, Miss Goneril, that I began the morning in _Hrym,_ " he said, with no small amount of venom in his tone. "All things considered, I made very good time."  
  
"Right. Let's just get started," Claude said. "So the topic at hand is that the leader of the Agarthans, Thales, is dead. Lysithea, did you get that letter out to your parents yet?"  
  
"I did," the girl answered, "it went out this morning."  
  
"Good. Now, only Edelgard and Hubert are going to fully understand what I'm about to say," Claude began, "but I told Solon that Thales was dead and he gave me the name of every single Agarthan spy in Garreg Mach in exchange for a merciful death."  
  
Rhea and Seteth stiffened as the Riegan heir produced a particularly large piece of parchment.  
  
"It's...a bit of a lengthy list. Lady Rhea, you keep a really bad watch, for someone so paranoid," he said, handing the list to Rhea.  
  
"One question before I find all of these people and question them," Seteth started, "who was Solon that he would have this information?"  
  
"Tomas," Edelgard answered quickly, "he tried to attack Byleth 4 days ago. We captured him then."  
  
"And I was not told about this?!" Rhea screeched. Seteth glared at the list.

"The decision was Miss Eisner's," Hubert explained, "her reasons for not telling you, Archbishop, were that you would inevitably mobilize nearly half the monastery just to find and kill him."  
  
"Of course I would have!" Rhea shouted. "How could I possibly do anything else?!"  
  
"He had information no one else did, Lady Rhea," Claude said, "as evidenced by the list in Seteth's hands. If you'd done that, we wouldn't have any of those names right now."  
  
"What is worse, Rhea?" Edelgard prompted. "One Agarthan, captured and rendered harmless for a few days before dying, or nearly fifty, walking free in this monastery?"  
  
"They have a point, Rhea," Seteth added, "leaving him alive for interrogation was a necessary and worthwhile injury, for this list."  
  
"Very well," Rhea relented, calming down, "go, Seteth. Find these people and make sure they do not walk these halls again."  
  
"At once," Seteth replied, leaving the room.  
  
"With the Agarthan side of the consequences dealt with, for now," Claude said, "we now have to deal with the fact that Thales was masquerading as Volkhard von Arundel. For this, I give the floor to Edelgard."  
  
"Thank you, Claude," Edelgard responded, "the simple fact of the matter is the Volkhard was Lord Regent of the Empire. The simple fix is to give that power back to my father. But, there is a problem there."  
  
"Ludwig von Aegir," Hubert continued. "It was by his hand that that power was taken from Lord Ionius in the first place. He will not see it returned quietly."  
  
"There are among us today some who would argue for my father's death," Ferdinand said, "and while that would solve this immediate issue, it leaves the Empire without a Prime Minister. I am not yet of age to take that position, and there is no one who could fill that role as a regent."  
  
"The nice thing about that, Ferdie," Dorothea began, "is that your father's too much of a coward to go down with his ship. Some simple threats should keep him in line."  
  
"The only question there," Felix argued, "is if he's smart enough to notice that his ship is sinking in the first place. If he's not, then this gets a lot harder."  
  
Hubert chuckled darkly.  
  
"Rest assured, Fraldarius," he said, "we will make Ludwig's position blatantly obvious to him."  
  
"Naturally," Ferdinand responded. "Having my voice among them will drive that point home further. And it _will_ be among them."  
  
"...Is that it? Are we done?" Hilda asked.  
  
This is why Hubert hated Hilda. She never gave a situation any gravity if it did not affect her.  
  
"Yeah, honestly, Princess, you were making this political problem seem way bigger than it actually was," Claude said. "At the end of the day, Volkhard never _actually_ had any right to be Regent. Ludwig just gave it to him because he had the leverage to do so. He no longer has that leverage."  
  
And this is why Hubert hated Claude. He treats _everything_ as nonchalantly as Hilda does, but from a logistical standpoint, he had no right to call him out on it because Claude completely understood the situation at hand and had it planned out.  
  
He supposed "begrudging respect" were the right words for how he felt about Riegan. An abhorrent personality put up by a mind that just might outclass his own.  
  
"I suppose that is everything, yes," Edelgard said, "Hubert, Ferdinand, and I shall make a trip to Aegir territory upon Byleth's return."  
  
"I would join you," Rhea said, "if you would allow me."  
  
That...that could only end poorly.  
  
"Why?" Hubert demanded.  
  
"I wish to make it clear to Duke Aegir," Rhea explained, "that there will be no sympathy from the Church, either."  
  
"I see. That is your plan," Edelgard said, "yes, your presence should make it abundantly clear that the question is not 'will my father will return to power'..."  
  
"But whether or not he is alive to see it," Ferdinand finished, with closed eyes.  
  
"Ferdie..." Dorothea murmured.  
  
"I do not wish to see my father killed, but if he should attempt to stop this process, then we will have no choice. I accept that," Ferdinand said.

"Lady Rhea, you do realize you still have to talk to Seteth about this trip, don't you?" Lysithea pointed out.  
  
"Ah...quite right, child," Rhea sighed. "I suppose I should do that now, then."  
  
Lysithea suddenly stood.  
  
"Woah, Lissie, no," Hilda warned.  
  
"She calls everyone that, Lissie, she didn't mean anything by it, I promise," Claude begged.  
  
"What are you two talking about?" Lysithea asked. "I'm just leaving the room because the meeting is obviously over."  
  
"Thank the Goddess," Felix sighed as she left.  
  
Whether Felix was referring to the meeting finally being over, Lysithea leaving, or the fact that Lysithea was not, in fact, about to murder the Archbishop for calling her a child to her face, the world would never know.  
  
"Am I...missing something?" Rhea asked.  
  
"Miss Ordelia is _very_ insecure about her age," Hubert explained, "and you explicitly called her 'child'. A considerable portion of the room, myself included, worried for at least a moment that she had gotten out of her seat to do something foolish."  
  
"I...see," Rhea said, "I...should I try to refrain from doing that?"  
  
"Maybe," Claude answered, "but if this time went okay, then I think it always will."  
  
"And if it doesn't, I'll hold her back," Hilda added.  
  
"I am grateful to all of you," Rhea said, "but I really must be going."  
  
As she left, Ferdinand relaxed. "I suppose this meeting is adjourned, then."  
  
"Looks like it, yeah," Claude agreed, "sorry for calling you back here on such short notice, Hubes. Dunno if I ever said that."  
  
"You did not, but the situation called for this," Hubert told him. "To know that Thales no longer lives is invaluable information in the Hrym investigation. They no longer have any foothold in the Empire, nor anywhere else if Miss Eisner has dealt with Bias."  
  
"Less dedicated men would call this a job well done," Dedue mused.  
  
"But we are not less dedicated men," Edelgard declared, "and so, our work continues."  
  
"On that note, I really must get back to Hrym," Hubert said, "I left Miss Nevrand with a target and ought to check in on that."  
  
"Don't hurt yourself trying to get there before nightfall, Hubie," Dorothea warned, "you won't do anyone any good unconscious."  
  
"I thank you for your concern, Miss Arnault," Hubert responded, "but it is unnecessary. I made prior preparations for a swift return."  
  
"And what were these preparations, Hubert?" Edelgard asked. "You've used that wording before, with me. As I recall, the last time you did that, you did not wake up for 30 hours."  
  
"I buried a Warp sigil in Hrym, attuned to my magical signature, Lady Edelgard," he answered.  
  
"Fine," Edelgard replied, "I know you wouldn't lie to me on this. I can't...I can't get out there to help you in time, if you're lying to me right now."  
  
Lady Edelgard had become...more emotional, lately. This was surely Miss Eisner and Arnault's influence.  
  
Was it a bad thing? Only time would tell.  
  
"I promise, El," he said.  
  
Her eyes widened, and she nodded.  
  
He had permission to use that name, but did not do so lightly.  
  
He left the room, searched out for the Warp sigil, found it, and went.

The day before, Felix was still wondering how in the world he was to get Thales' body out of the monastery without any unwanted attention.  
  
This really wasn't his area of expertise. He could certainly get a body to the point where such a task was necessary, but he'd never had to deal with the aftermath.  
  
Hubert would know, but Hubert had headed off to Hrym earlier that day, so he couldn't just ask him. Of course, if Hubert was here, he wouldn't be dealing with this at all...  
  
Edelgard came out of her room, not noticing him, somehow, even though her new ponytail came half an inch from his nose.  
  
Right. Okay, time to find Hilda and Claude, tell them what happened.  
  
He knocked on Hilda's door first.  
  
"Just a minute!" Hilda called.  
  
The door opened to reveal a Hilda with her hair down. A weird sight, that.  
  
"Something...big happened," Felix said, "where's Claude? He needs to see this too."  
  
"Right behind ya, Fe."

He swore under his breath. Turning around, he saw, of course, Claude.  
  
"Don't do that," Felix muttered.  
  
"Can't make any promises," Claude responded, "anyway, what happened?"  
  
"Come with me, both of you," Felix said as an answer.  
  
"Okaaayyy," Hilda replied in a suspicious tone, "what's going on, Felix?"  
  
"I'm about to show you," Felix answered.  
  
He opened Edelgard's door. Hilda gasped in shock, while Claude's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Who's this?" the half-Almyran asked.  
  
"Thales, I think," Felix answered, "you're both smart enough to figure out what happened. Now I need help dealing with this stupid corpse."  
  
"What makes you think we have any more experience dealing with dead bodies than you do?" Hilda asked.  
  
"Nothing, actually," Felix said, "but I certainly can't get this thing out of here without anyone noticing on my own."  
  
"Right," Claude replied, "I'd say we chop him into more manageable pieces but that's a huge mess and I'm pretty sure Princess likes her sheets without a bunch of blood from someone she killed on them."  
  
"Can we not just...tell Rhea and let her deal with it?" Hilda asked.  
  
"Ordinarily, that's what I'd do," Felix answered, "but the Professor has this weird thing about letting Edelgard talk about things at her own pace and Edelgard did say she was going to do it herself."  
  
"And did she seem in any state to do that?" Claude prompted.  
  
"When she walked out of her room, she seemed relatively fine," Felix said, "but she...weirdly didn't notice me even though she literally walked right past me."  
  
"I've seen that before," Claude responded. "She's gonna break down in front of the first person who talks to her. Hopefully that's someone she trusts, or she's at least near one of those people."  
  
"I'm not going to ask why you know that," Felix replied, "but still. Dead body. Sitting in a dorm room. This won't end well if it stays here."  
  
"Weird idea, but how about we just move it into Hubert's room?" Hilda suggested. "No one goes in there because people think he's scary."  
  
"That is the worst idea I have ever heard and I've been Sylvain's friend since before I could walk," Felix said, "but I also can't come up with anything better without telling Rhea, so let's do that, give Dagger Girl a few hours, and if she isn't ready to talk to Rhea by then, we'll just have to do it for her."  
  
"Okay, sounds good," Claude responded, "but who gets the job of talking to Rhea if Princess can't?"  
  
"You," Felix and Hilda answered at the same time.  
  
"Wait, hang on," Claude chuckled, "did that really just happen? Felix and Hilda talking in sync?"  
  
"No one will ever believe you," Hilda teased.  
  
"Damn shame, that," Claude sighed, "but seriously, why me?"  
  
"Because she scares me, honestly," Hilda said.  
  
"And I'm not a conversationalist. I'd just say 'hey, Thales is dead in Edelgard's room, what do I do with the body' and that probably wouldn't go very well," Felix admitted.  
  
"Right..." Claude muttered. "Guess it's up to me, then."  
  
"She's almost certainly with Dorothea, at this point," Hilda pointed out, "so I'd check her room first, once the time comes for that."  
  
"Right. I'll give her four hours. If she can't do it by then, we can't wait any longer," Claude said, walking away.  
  
He and Hilda moved Thales' body into Hubert's room.  
  
"Well, you interrupted me in the middle of doing my hair," Hilda complained, "and then you made me work, so now I basically have to start over. I had plans today, Felix."  
  
He _really_ didn't like lazy types. He barely tolerated it from Sylvain. Certainly not from Hilda.  
  
"I'm sure Edelgard did too."  
  
Cold, but who cares?  
  
" _Wow._ Okay. I almost want to punch you for her sake."  
  
Hilda, apparently.  
  
"Go ahead and try."  
  
She did.  
  
"Not bad," Felix admitted, rubbing his jaw, "if you actually put effort into training, that strength would find real use."  
  
She tried to punch him again. He caught this one.  
  
"If putting effort into training makes me like you," Hilda gritted, "I think I'll pass."  
  
A foolish argument for a lazy girl.  
  
"Suit yourself."  
  
He walked to the training grounds.

He'd work on brawling, today. He was looking for a new tactic to try to beat Dimitri with.  
  
Or perhaps he was trying to show Hilda that strength isn't all that matters.  
  
The world would never know.

That night, Shamir was on the northern border of Hrym, tailing a target Vestra had told her about.  
  
The man reeked of burnt flesh. A telltale sign of an experienced dark mage.  
  
He came to a stop, and put his hands in his pockets. His demeanor reminded her of Fraldarius, when Gautier thought he was being sneaky.  
  
Not the best sign, but it wouldn't matter in a moment.  
  
"Lovely view, isn't it?" Shamir asked.  
  
In truth, it was an awful view. But this man deserved no better for a last vista.  
  
"Shamir Nevrand, the Midnight Huntress," he greeted, "it's an honor."  
  
"I think we both know why we're having this conversation," she replied.  
  
"Yes, I suppose we do," he confirmed, "but, since I'm about to die, they're certainly not going to care about what I say."  
  
This was...surprising, but not bad.  
  
"The name of our base, Shambhala. You might recognize it from old Dagdan myths. We used to have a fair few guys out there. Wiped out with the rest of the country, of course."  
  
Surprising, but not relevant.  
  
"You know Shambhala's location, then."  
  
"Oh no, I'm not telling you that. They'd find a way to bring me back just to torture me, for that."  
  
"Are you certain?" Shamir prompted. "Hresvelg has killed Thales."  
  
The man deeply sighed. "Awwww hell. We are officially fucked, then. Our leader's dead and the Flame Emperor has betrayed us. But no, that doesn't change my answer. You're looking in the right place, though."  
  
Wait. There _was_ something relevant in that.  
  
"You have men in other countries?"  
  
"Not...really, at this point. I mean, some of us went and taught the folks in Sreng some stuff just for fun back when we were working with Loog, but who knows if they use that anymore. And we might still have some guys in Morfis, but they haven't answered or initiated comms in decades."  
  
"Working with...Loog? The King of Lions? How old are you?"  
  
"Oh, me? I'm 57. We Agarthans usually live to about 200. We've had over three millennia since the great war to figure out how to decelerate our aging, Nevrand. It'd be more surprising if we hadn't managed it."  
  
He took a few steps towards the cliffside. "The Fell Star's got us in a real pickle, y'know. You beasts call her Byress, or something like that."  
  
"Byleth," she corrected.  
  
"Byleth, right. Anyway, she's made a whole lot of moves. Solon won't answer comms, so he's either dead or captured, Bias' whole operation went down in flames yesterday, the Storm Gremory's in on all of it too, and now she's got you guys out here. She's managed to turn the last 20 years of our work into nothing in just a month."  
  
Storm Gremory. She'd never heard that one before.  
  
"Storm Gremory?" Shamir repeated.  
  
"You know what, sure, I'll give you that one too. Lysithea von Ordelia. White hair, pink eyes? Crazy good at magic, really young? That one. We like to give our experiments their own file names, see."  
  
"...Anything else?"  
  
"Nope, that's about all I'm willing to give you. Now are you gonna shoot and kick me down this cliff, or are you gonna let me jump into the Airmid rapids myself?"  
  
He'd given her something useful. A name. And the knowledge that they had spies in Garreg Mach. She supposed she'd let him go on his own terms.  
  
"Five seconds."  
  
"You're a good one, Nevrand," he said, and then jumped off the cliff.  
  
She turned her bow towards a sound she heard.  
  
"Only me, Miss Nevrand," Vestra's voice called. "You'll be pleased to hear I took care of the fool tailing you."  
  
He was back already, it seems.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Did you get anything out of him?"  
  
"Three things. A name for their base: Shambhala. They had some men in Morfis at one point, but they've been inactive for some time now, apparently. And they know that Lysithea von Ordelia has joined Lady Eisner's group."

"That last part would ordinarily be concerning, but at the meeting, Riegan gave the Archbishop a list of all the Agarthan spies in Garreg Mach. Leaks like that shall no longer occur."  
  
Shamir's brow furrowed.  
  
"How did Riegan get such a list?"  
  
"We had...a captive Agarthan, for a time. Your target may have mentioned him. Solon, an actor taking the place of Tomas, the librarian."  
  
"For a time?"  
  
"Solon had...expended his use to us. So we disposed of him."  
  
That was that question answered...was there anything else?  
  
Ah.  
  
"The man mentioned that someone named Bias had failed."  
  
"That would be Lady Eisner's target," Vestra explained, "dead by now, if I have the measure of Prince Dimitri right. Between the deaths of Solon, Bias, and Thales, the Agarthan's scope of action in Fódlan is severely limited. But I am not a man to leave a job unfinished."  
  
"This partnership would be over if you were," Shamir said.  
  
"Indeed. And what a tragedy that would be," he replied.  
  
Vestra was...she'd had worse partners. Sharp, diligent, and not overly talkative. He said a fair bit more than he needed to, but she could allow that for a partner like him.  
  
Yes, the early end of this partnership would be a small tragedy.  
  
And if her heart asked her to think about the reason why, she'd simply ignore it...for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will have the Gaspard section, and all the mess that is. Honestly not super sure how I'm gonna go about that, but I can't just skip it because I've mentioned it at least once every chapter for the past like 8 chapters except this one, being like "oh this is important" so I can't just. Y'know. Not write it.


	19. The Consequences of Life and Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth and Dimitri do stuff in Gaspard. Two days prior, Claude sets the stage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was worried about this chapter being too short so I added a Claude POV section that needed to happen at some point and now it's the longest chapter in the whole damn fic
> 
> The Gaspard bit is...it took a lot of fixing. Might even edit it some more after I post this chapter, but it's at least presentable now.

Byleth and Dimitri had stayed at an inn overnight. The inn didn't get much business (mostly because it was terrible, as they would discover), so they had enough beds for the entire battalion.  
  
They were given the one room with an actually decent bed. The problem, though, was that there was only _one_ bed.  
  
"Come on, Dima, stop making this weird," she had said.  
  
"But−this is−" he stuttered.  
  
"It's _fine_ , Dima," she insisted, "after a day like today, neither of us are even in the mood to do anything. Or at least I'm not."  
  
"That's true for me as well," he admitted, "remembering your own death is..."  
  
"Yeah, it's not fun," she finished, "now come to bed."  
  
"Very well, beloved," Dimitri said, "but if I ever make you uncomfortable..."  
  
"You won't, Dima," Byleth assured him, "you never could."  
  
She slept very peacefully in his arms.  
  
Byleth and Dimitri continued the ride to Gaspard in seeming silence.  
  
`What did Rufus want to talk to you about yesterday?` Byleth asked.  
  
`The Miklan issue,` Dimitri answered, `I'd been pondering it myself, lately.`  
  
`Of course. What did you tell him?`  
  
`I told him that though Miklan's circumstances are indeed tragic, he's not a good person,` Dimitri said, `sparing him would be optimal, but if it cannot be done...`  
  
`Right. This whole deal's messed up but it's far too late to save him,` Byleth agreed. `Maybe if Elly went on the Conand Tower mission...but no. That's not worth the risk.`  
  
`Why Edelgard?`  
  
`She thinks him a capable commander,` Byleth answered, `but he's also an asshole so...`  
  
`I'm not sure the little empress knows what she would be getting herself into,` Sothis agreed, `perhaps the idea of making a completely new life would appeal to him, but as you said, it is not worth the risk.`  
  
`And El is only just learning how to trust others again,` Dimitri added, `someone like Miklan could bring a halt to that.`  
  
`Right. So...how are we gonna do this?` Byleth prompted.  
  
`The main issue at hand is that Lonato is too attached to Christophe to see how this would affect Ashe,` Dimitri began.  
  
`I think that's part of what got Ashe so bad about this,` Byleth sighed, `he started questioning if Lonato ever cared about him at all.`  
  
`He does. I'm certain he does. Lonato is simply lost in his grief...` Dimitri said.  
  
`This is the part of the Kingdom Felix hates,` Byleth muttered, `that a living son would be left behind in favor of a dead one. I'm not sure I like it much more. There's honoring the dead, and then there's this.`  
  
`The problem there is that the Kingdom is inherently founded on the principles of chivalry,` Dimitri said. `There is...nothing I can do about that, save work to make a world where such sacrifices are unnecessary.`  
  
`A world where none are unjustly taken from us,` Byleth quoted, `you remember that night in the Goddess Tower, when you said that to me?`  
  
`I remember the "joke" he told about "being together forever",` Sothis grumbled. `You have no earthly idea how much that hurt her.`  
  
`I...that was...not one of my best decisions,` Dimitri admitted, `one born of my own doubts that you truly...loved me.`  
  
`I should hope you no longer harbor such doubts,` Sothis said, `I will not stand to see her hurt like that again. Not even by you. Or perhaps especially by you.`  
  
`I do not,` Dimitri declared, `though there are dark days where I...question myself.`  
  
`I've told you time and again to find me on those days,` Byleth sighed, `but perhaps you cannot...well, I now have backup in the form of Sothis yelling at you to come find me.`  
  
`I would be more inclined to do things the other way around,` Sothis countered, `after all...`  
  
Oh. Right.  
  
This man has had enough disembodied voices telling him to find someone.  
  
This would be for a far better purpose, but even so...  
  
"I'm sorry," Byleth murmured.  
  
"Beloved?"  
  
"I didn't think about how...this situation would affect you. How it's...similar to..."  
  
`Beloved, this is inherently different,` Dimitri told her. `This is talking to you, regardless of distance. We could just as easily have this conversation aloud.`

`I suppose...but if it's ever too much...please, tell me, Dima.`  
  
`I will, beloved.`  
  
`...Okay, seriously though, what are we planning on doing?` Byleth asked. `Because I've only ever met this man in the context of a battle where he knowingly marches himself and his men to their deaths.`  
  
`Hardly the context we're going into,` Sothis agreed.  
  
`Well, Lonato is a religious man,` Dimitri began, `so showing that you have the Crest of Flames is perhaps a good idea.`  
  
`Noted. What else?`  
  
`Lonato obviously cares deeply for his family. Invoking Ashe's name would have some effect, though we should do this cautiously.`  
  
`Right. Doing that carelessly might make it seem like we're holding him hostage.`  
  
`Finally, it is important to remember that we are the Crown Prince and Primary Bishop respectively. Showing that we know of what he would do and are understanding and merciful will go a long way.`  
  
`Right. Right,` Byleth murmured. `I'm thinking...what if I tell him about some of the time travel stuff?`  
  
`I'm...not sure that's the best idea...`  
  
`That could go very poorly, child.`  
  
`Just enough so as to make it clear that I've seen what becomes of this rebellion. What it does to the territory. What it does to Ashe.`  
  
Sothis hissed out a sigh. `It is a dangerous choice, child, but if it works, it will work very well.`  
  
`Right! So it's worth using a Pulse on.`  
  
`...Very well, child. I shall stand by.`  
  
`I'm still not certain using the Divine Pulse for this sort of thing is right...` Dimitri said.  
  
`It's to save lives, Dima,` Byleth told him. `What better purpose is there?`  
  
"We've almost arrived at Gaspard Manor, Lady Byleth," one of the Knights informed them.  
  
Alright. Showtime.

When they arrived, they were received with little ceremony. None at all, really.  
  
Not that Dimitri wanted it, but it was...odd, in a way that was not quite suspicious but still something he didn't like.  
  
After moving past the foyer, they were greeted by Lonato himself.  
  
"Greetings, Your Highness," he began, "and to Lady Eisner as well."  
  
Lady Eisner. News travelled fast, it seems.  
  
"Greetings, Lord Lonato," Byleth returned, "on behalf of the Church, there are some things we'd like to speak with you about."  
  
The man instantly became guarded.  
  
`And so it begins,` Sothis sighed.  
  
"It is important to note, Lord Lonato," Dimitri quickly cut in, "that all of what I wrote in my letter was truthful to both reality and my personal feelings."  
  
Time stopped.  
  
Literally.  
  
"Right. The letter. Forgot about that," Byleth said. "Dima, you need to tell me everything you put in that letter."  
  
Oh. Um.  
  
This might cause a few problems, he's realizing.  
  
"I...may have started it by mentioning the Agarthan influence in the Western Church."  
  
Byleth walked over to a wall and slammed her head against it, sighing.  
  
_"Diiiiimaaaaaaa..."_ she yelled. "Why did you doooo thaaaat?"  
  
"It would have been nice to know about that earlier, princeling," Sothis grumbled.  
  
"I...was trying to not sound completely biased," Dimitri attempted as an explanation, "I thought the truth best."  
  
"Well, yes, Dima, it is always good to be honest," Byleth said, "but we now have to explain to him what the fuck an Agarthan is."  
  
"I did not mention the Agarthans by name," Dimitri said, "only that they were an enemy of the Church...who killed and replaced the Western Bishop," he added, sheepishly, knowing that only the Agarthans could do such a thing.  
  
Byleth gave the wall another headbutt.  
  
_"Diiiiimaaaaaaa..."_ she yelled. "That's not betteeeerrrrr."  
  
She took a moment to calm down.  
  
"Okay, Sothis, I hope you can keep time stopped for a while," she said, "because we now might need a completely new starting plan."  
  
"I can keep this going for _days_ , Bylie."  
  
"Okay. Good. So the good news is that we get to tell him about the Agarthans and why they hate the Church and he is obviously going to buy that story because he's very religious and that just might eliminate any bias against Rhea because that's from them."  
  
Right. That made sense.

"The bad news, however, is that we will probably _have_ to tell him about the Agarthans, and who knows how many answers he'll want after that."  
  
That, unfortunately, also made sense.  
  
"The good news about that bad news is that if I have to explain to him that I can turn back time, I get to tell him that I've literally seen how this rebellion goes−twice, even, and it goes incredibly poorly and Ashe is super fucked up and honestly if I'm lying that's the most believable part."  
  
"The best case scenario is him taking the base Agarthan story at face value and it just removing most of his bias against Rhea. He'll probably still be like 'my son shouldn't have had to die', and we'll be like 'yeah that was a pretty fucking bad call we're gonna try to avoid those in the future, now please don't kill yourself over it' and he'll say 'okay I won't' then we can go home."  
  
That would be nice.  
  
"The worst case scenario is him deciding we're full of shit and just kicking us out, in which case he's probably boned and, Dima, I love you, but it's entirely your fault."  
  
"No, the _true_ worst case scenario is him deciding that you're lying and trying to kill you," Sothis argued.  
  
"He's not that dumb," Byleth said. "At least, I hope he isn't. But I think this new plan will work. Answer every question he has and go no further. Should new opportunities arise from those answers, we'll make a note of that."  
  
"Very well. Shall I resume the flow of time, then?" Sothis asked.  
  
"I need a moment to gather myself," Dimitri said.  
  
He took this moment, then spoke again. "Let's go."  
  
Time moved again.  
  
"Yes, Your Highness," Lonato said, guiding them to a study and shutting the door. "About your letter...how could you possibly know these things?"  
  
That was...perhaps the worst question he could ask.  
  
"I'm...afraid you'll have to be a touch more specific, Lonato," Dimitri replied.  
  
"Let us begin from the start, then. Who is this enemy of the Church, and how could they possibly be able to indistinguishably replace a person?"  
  
"That is a tale that goes back to the very beginnings of Seiros lore, Lord Lonato," Byleth answered, "to a time far older than the Church itself."  
  
"The very beginnings?" Lonato repeated. "What could you possibly mean by that?"  
  
"I mean that the legendary kingdom created by the Goddess spoken of in Seiros lore was once real," Byleth responded, "but she did not create it alone. Long ago, she came to this world with her many children, and granted the humans here her knowledge. Together, they made the kingdom of Agartha."  
  
"Very well..." Lonato said. "Just...how long ago was this?"  
  
"We're no longer entirely certain," Byleth answered, "The Goddess' children were...not the best at keeping time, back then. But eventually, the humans of Agartha forgot who gave them this knowledge, and grew arrogant, striking against the Goddess, beginning a great and bloody war. Some of them retreated during this war, and their descendants are the enemy Dimitri spoke of in his letter."  
  
"...Very well. But how can they manage to replace people?"  
  
"To be perfectly honest, Lord Lonato, we don't know either," Byleth replied, "they just...can. They have all manner of dark magics and technology. What we do know is that it requires the person they replace to be dead and magically preserved, which we also don't know how they do."  
  
"How do you know any of this? Who are you, Lady Eisner, that the Archbishop would trust you so?"  
  
"That is very simple, Lord Lonato," Byleth said, revealing her Crest of Flames, "I am a soul who Lady Rhea blessed with the Goddess' power when I was born."  
  
"I...see..." Lonato managed through his apparent shock and awe, "I...hmm."  
  
"What is it, Lonato?" Dimitri asked.  
  
"It...might just be something of proximity," Lonato began, "but now that I recognize the Goddess' power in Lady Eisner, I can see traces of it on you as well, Your Highness. That might simply be your Crest, but...something tells me that is not the case."

"Quite right, Lonato," Byleth said. "You see, the Goddess' power is not so simple as just a Crest without equal. The Crest of Flames' true power is domain over time itself. I have the ability to turn back time."  
  
"This is...not mentioned anywhere in scripture," Lonato pointed out.  
  
"The Church is...admittedly somewhat odd about what does and does not make it into scripture," Byleth explained, "this power is indeed not mentioned, but Sothis is said to have a power of creation that I am incapable of using. Mortal limits, perhaps."  
  
"Though I do have an actual explanation for why this power, known to me as the Divine Pulse, is not mentioned," Byleth continued, "it is not that they chose not to mention it...but that they never knew of it."  
  
"Absurd. How could they possibly..."  
  
"Rather simple," Byleth said, "the nature of the Divine Pulse is that no one except the user knows what occurs in the time they turned back. How could they? In everyone else's eyes, those things never happened."  
  
"I understand now," Lonato declared, glaring, "Rhea, traitor to the Goddess that she is, wrongfully granted a human Her holy power and sent them to intimidate me."  
  
`This could get very bad,` Sothis said.  
  
"There are...several things wrong with that statement," Byleth began, "the first being that your source of Rhea being a traitor to the Goddess is the descendants of the _actual_ traitors to the Goddess, who still hate Her and Her children. They might be just a _little_ biased, Lonato."  
  
"And speaking of Her children, Rhea is one of them," Byleth continued, "she is quite literally one of, if not _the_ only person who would never betray Sothis. Rhea makes bad decisions on occasion but 'betraying her mother' is not on the list and never will be."  
  
"Lastly, we are not here to intimidate you. Remember when I said I can turn back time? I've seen the results of your little rebellion. You lose. Badly. And for nothing, save an attack on the Holy Mausoleum in which the Agarthans try to steal Saint Seiros' bones."  
  
"I wish to make it clear to you, Lonato," Dimitri began, "we are on your side. Yes, Christophe should not have had to die. He was framed by the Agarthans, who were the true culprits behind Duscur, and the Church fell for it. Cassandra was pushed into a bad situation."  
  
"We understand your reasons, Lonato," he pleaded, "and we sympathize with them. But for all our influence, we can't save you if you go through with this rebellion."  
  
"But...they killed my son..."  
  
"And because of that, you'll ignore the one you still have?!" Byleth shouted. "Do you have any earthly idea what your death does to Ashe? You've never told him about _any_ of this, Lonato, and I know you did that to protect him, but he starts questioning if you _ever_ cared about him. If you ever trusted him."  
  
"Of course I do!" Lonato shouted. "Of course I care about him! But am I not allowed to fight for the one I have lost?"  
  
"Fighting and dying for the dead does little good, Lonato," Dimitri said, "it only serves to desolate the living. If I'd...payed attention to that, then maybe..."  
  
Maybe Byleth wouldn't have had to save him from Bias. Maybe Byleth would've been able to save Rodrigue, back then. And who knows how many times he got himself killed during the war, and she had to turn back time to save him.  
  
"Never again, beloved," Dimitri said, "I will never put you in a situation where you must save me from myself again, no matter how great my hatred for the enemy is. The consequences aren't worth it."  
  
"Dima..." Byleth murmured.  
  
`That is very romantic, but what happened to invoking Ashe's name cautiously?` Sothis asked.  
  
`I got angry,` Byleth admitted.  
  
"Very well," Lonato said, "I...must go to the graves of Ashe's parents. Reaffirm my vow to protect their children. I trust you two will be fine while I am gone?"

"I would come with you, Lord Lonato," Byleth responded, "I have...never had the opportunity to pay my respects to them. Ashe was always one of my favorite students. Too kind for the things that would come...I ought to thank his parents for bringing such a lovely soul into this world."  
  
"I as well, then, beloved," Dimitri said. "Ashe is a dear friend of mine...though perhaps a little too hung up on my position."  
  
"That's just the way he is, Dima," Byleth told him. "He'll loosen up over the next year, I'm sure."  
  
"To think Ashe would make such fine friends," Lonato mused, "it does my heart well. Truth be told, rebellion or no, I do not have long to live. Perhaps a couple more years at most. Knowing that he would have support when that day comes...it will allow me to rest in peace."  
  
"Do try to hold on for as long as you can, Lonato," Dimitri said.  
  
They went to the gravesite nearby. He would remember this place, he decided.  
  
"Your Highness...we got off track. How exactly are you connected to the Divine Pulse?"  
  
"That is...complicated, Lonato," Dimitri answered, "the best way to describe it is that I am attuned to Sothis through Byleth."  
  
"A part of Sothis exists within me," Byleth added, "the power over time is hers. She simply uses it to aid me, because we are linked. My bond with Dima has become so deep that he, too, can remember the changed futures of the Pulse."  
  
"Will...the Goddess return, through you?" Lonato asked.  
  
"Truthfully speaking, that is what Rhea hoped for by doing this to me," Byleth answered. "But it has never come to pass. It may yet happen, but..."  
  
"Doing this to you?" Lonato repeated. "Such peculiar phrasing."  
  
"Rhea wishes for the Goddess' return more than anyone else," Byleth said, "she is her daughter, after all. So she, with her powers as one of Her children, created bodies that might serve as Her vessel. They all failed to awaken Sothis' consciousness. I was born to the twelfth such attempt, and fathered by Sir Jeralt. His Crest may have made the difference between me and my mother."  
  
"I see," Lonato responded, "but...you do not sound..."  
  
"I did not ask for this power, Lonato," Byleth cut in. "I have seen...much. Been made to do much. Things none should have to do. I am, in the end, nothing more than a mercenary who fell in love with a prince. The only blessing I require is that he returns those feelings. These powers...I use them to protect my friends and loved ones, their hopes for the future. That is why I walk in the past. But it is...sometimes too great a burden to bear. And yet, when days like today occur, when my efforts bear fruit and I am able to dissuade a soul from a path of death and sorrow..."  
  
"It makes it worth it," Dimitri finished. "Beloved, you have asked that I come to you in times of struggle. I...would ask that you do the same. Come to me, if you should ever need me."  
  
"Thank you, Dima..."  
  
"Lady Eisner..." Lonato said. "Do you even want to be Archbishop?"  
  
"Truth be told? No. I do not. And yet there are things that must be done. Things I must do. After that...I can leave the Church to someone else. Mercedes, another of the Blue Lions, is a standout choice, to me. She is wise, loving, and unlike myself, cares for the Church and the faith. I...must admit, that despite being hearing the Goddess herself on a daily basis, I cannot count myself one of the faithful. I am simply a leader who would change the Church for the better."  
  
"Or perhaps it is because you hear her on a daily basis," Dimitri suggested. "Even Mercedes, after long enough, might become like you."  
  
"Your Highness, I would ask that you..." Lonato trailed off.

"Lonato, with all due respect, Sothis is...a bit of a brat," Byleth said, "she cares about this world and it's inhabitants, but in day-to-day life...she senses the world through me, so she would ask that I eat strange things, drink tea that I do not like. There was one time that she asked me to eat the cooking of one of her children at the monastery just to make that one feel better and I was sick for nearly a week. She insists on commentating on my conversations, poking fun at my students...it took Rhea referring to her by name, rather than just 'the Goddess' for me to realize that they are, in fact, one and the same. I'd read the Book of Seiros all the way through and still never made the connection."  
  
"Did she not...tell you?" Lonato asked.  
  
"She didn't remember," Byleth answered. "She's...been away for a while. And these stories were all written after she left."  
  
"That is...reasonable, Lady Eisner. But...I must ask..."  
  
He was likely going to ask about Duscur...  
  
"Who was responsible for the Tragedy of Duscur?" Byleth finished. Lonato nodded. "Bias. Also known as Cornelia Arnim. Dima took care of her before we got here, don't worry."  
  
Lonato sighed.  
  
"It was her plans that led my son to his doom. That I cannot have her head pains me, but His Highness deserves it far more."  
  
"Let's...stop speaking of the dead," Dimitri suggested, "this day is for the living."  
  
"Okay, Dima," Byleth said, embracing him. "It's about time we head back to the monastery, Lonato...we'll be taking the knights stationed in Gaspard with us."  
  
"Of course, Lady Eisner. I only ask that you continue to guide my son as best you can."  
  
"I'll try," she said.  
  
That was all either of them could do.  
  
As they left, Byleth spoke. "Well! That was far more complicated than I wanted it to be!"  
  
"I apologize for that, beloved," he said, "had I asked you, I would not have..."  
  
"Water under the bridge, Dima," she assured him.  
  
A pegasus messenger spotted them, and came down.  
  
"Lady Eisner," the woman began, a letter in hand, "a letter from Lady Rhea."

What could this possibly be? Perhaps something about Gustave? Or...did something happen at the monastery?  
  
Byleth tore open the letter, and began to read. Soon after, she stopped, and whispered "that's my girl," smiling.  
  
`I did not think the little empress would have it in her yet,` Sothis mused, impressed.  
  
What had Edelgard done that had them so pleased? Byleth continued to read.  
  
"Beloved?" Dimitri asked, holding out a hand for the letter.  
  
"Oh, right," Byleth said, handing it to him.  
  
Rhea's handwriting was somewhat familiar to him.  
  
"Dearest Byleth," the letter began, "I send you this letter to inform you of a great change. The young Hresvelg has killed Thales, the leader of the Agarthans. Supposedly, he came upon her in her room, asking for information and obedience. She would not give him either, so he moved to attack her, and she killed him before he could. I am told that the young Fraldarius came to her aid at this time."  
  
"Felix helped her," Dimitri murmured.  
  
"He would," Byleth nodded.  
  
"As for what this means, upon your return, young Edelgard, the heirs of Aegir and Vestra, and I will all take a journey to Aegir territory to inform the Duke of the change that will now occur in the Empire. Emperor Ionius IX will be returning to power. Arundel never once had the right to be Regent. This is a simple restoration of balance."  
  
"I...Lady Rhea is..." Dimitri said. "Beloved..."  
  
"If Elly and Bertie agreed, it's fine," Byleth replied.  
  
"You have had enough of travel and trials for now, dear Byleth," the letter concluded. "I wish to ease this burden of yours. Rest assured, I will go into the meeting with Duke Ludwig with a calm, open mind.

May Sothis' blessings be with you,

Archbishop Rhea  
  
P.S. Young Edelgard wanted you to know that she has "cut her way to a brighter path". Supposedly, that particular phrasing means something to you and Prince Dimitri. It is a simple request, so I chose to fulfill it, even though I do not truly understand."  
  
"She's grown so much," Byleth sighed.  
  
"Indeed," Dimitri said. "That she can freely ask such things of Lady Rhea..."  
  
"Mmm. Not...quite what I meant, Dima," she replied. "But...maybe it's time I start making peace with Rhea, too. If Elly can, then I..."  
  
"There's no rush, beloved."  
  
"Right. I have my entire life to do it. No need to start when I'm still cleaning up her mess."  
  
`It would seem that she's trying to help clean it,` Sothis pointed out.  
  
`Yeah, well, I'll hear how that goes from Elly. I'm not exactly holding my breath,` Byleth countered.  
  
Dimitri...admittedly didn't have much faith either. But, at the same time...  
  
"Beloved, we should at least take this chance to relax," he said, "this trip was...perhaps even more stressful than I expected."  
  
"Yeah. A date and cuddle night sounds real good right now," Byleth agreed. "Just a night to unwind, with no consequences."  
  
And so, it was decided. They would take a break from responsibilities. From the fight against the Agarthans.  
  
From the consequences of life and death.

Two days earlier, Claude was still waiting for any indication that Edelgard had talked to Rhea.

It'd been three and a half hours already, by his count. He'd spent two of them interrogating and subsequently killing Solon, but he came back to find Thales' body still in Hubert's room. No sudden clean-up crews had gone to Edelgard's room. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening at all, really.

Well, Lysithea was approaching him, that was something.

"Is there a certain reason you're loitering outside of Edelgard's room, Claude?"

"Yeah, there is, actually," Claude answered, turning to Hubert's door and opening it, revealing Thales' body.

"That...that's..." Lysithea tried.

"Recognize him?" Claude asked.

"No...but it's...definitely one of them," she managed, shutting Hubert's door. "Let's...go to my room and talk, okay?"

"We'll have to make it quick," he told her as they walked. "I've gotta check in on Princess in half an hour."

They entered Lysithea's room, and Claude shut the door behind them.

"Okay. Question one: who was that?"

"Thales, apparently. Edelgard killed him."

"Good. Question two: why was he in Hubert's room?"

"We moved him there because no one goes in Hubert's room."

"Right. Question three: why do you need to check on Edelgard?"

"Because she walked out of her room after killing Thales, pretending (very poorly) to be fine. I think she broke down in front of the first person who spoke to her, and we−that is, Felix, Hilda, and I, decided to wait four hours to give her a chance to calm down and talk to Rhea herself. That was three and a half hours ago."

"...I see. Question four: is there...anything I can do to help?"

"Not with this, I'm afraid. But...I'd like to ask you a favor."

Lysithea became suspicious, confused, and curious all at the same time.

"What sort of favor?"

"I'd like you to send a letter to your parents. One that says that they can now start cleaning out the Agarthan spies in Ordelia, and that House Riegan will support them if push comes to shove."

"That's...something that could put my parents in danger if it's found, Claude. I'm not sure..."

"Trust me on this, Lissie. I'm going to send a similar sort of letter to my grandfather, saying that the Empire's been weird lately, which boy howdy has it been, and if Ordelia suddenly asks for troops without really explaining why, just...send them over."

"...And you think he'll believe that?"

"I don't joke about things like this, Lissie, and he knows it."

Truth be told, he'd already written the letter, but it didn't say what he was telling Lysithea it would say. Instead, he told his grandfather what Agartha was, what they've done to House Ordelia, that Ordelia was right across the Airmid River from where they thought their home base was, and if they ever ask for troops for no apparent reason, that's why.  
  
Admittedly a bit of a long shot, but again, his grandfather knows he doesn't joke about things like this.  
  
"Okay. I'll trust you on this, Claude."  
  
"Thanks, Lissie."

He went back to his room, sealed the letter to his grandfather, and went to the post to send it out. By the time that was done, it was time to check on Edelgard.  
  
He went to Dorothea's room and knocked on the door. After a moment, Dorothea opened it, with a sad and...somewhat annoyed look on her face.  
  
"Hey," he greeted, "is...she in here?"  
  
The annoyed look disappeared, overtaken by sorrow.  
  
"Yeah, she's..." Dorothea's head turned to look at something, then back to him. "What do you need?"  
  
"Felix told me to check on her. Like it or not, this is something Rhea needs to know about _now._ Is she in any state to do that?"  
  
"See for yourself," Dorothea answered, moving out of the doorway.  
  
Claude poked his head in. Edelgard's only reaction was looking at him.  
  
The girl was a wreck. Even worse than he thought she'd be.  
  
"Damn," he sighed, "I...wish I could help, but..."  
  
He...really was bad at this sort of thing.  
  
"Just...keep her going until Teach gets back, at least," Claude muttered, "I'll get Hilda to bring her dinner here."  
  
"I'm not...that far gone..." Edelgard managed, "I lived through those days in Enbarr...this is nothing."  
  
"Good to know you can talk, at least," Claude said, "but seriously, Edelgard, take as much time as you need. Just make sure to come back to us."  
  
He left. Time to talk to Rhea.  
  
Knocking on the doors to the Audience Chamber produced a cautious "who is it?" from Seteth.  
  
"Claude von Riegan," he answered.  
  
"Come in, then," Rhea responded from within.  
  
Rhea looked...somewhat stressed. Seteth stood at her side.  
  
"Is...something wrong, Lady Rhea?" Claude asked.  
  
"I...worry about Byleth," she answered after a moment. "I know she is strong and capable, and that Prince Dimitri will protect her if something goes truly wrong, but even so, I worry."  
  
Hmm. So the Archbishop had anxieties, too.  
  
Hopefully, what he was about to say wouldn't make them worse.  
  
"Lady Rhea, something big has happened," Claude began, "Edelgard killed Thales. He warped into her room, and I guess tried to get her to do something. I'm not entirely sure how it went down, you'll have to ask her. But he's dead."  
  
Rhea was practically shivering with joy.  
  
"How... _wondrous_..." she breathed, "I knew dear Byleth had been trying to help the young Hresvelg, but this is a most welcome surprise."  
  
"Glorious news indeed," Seteth agreed.  
  
"Yeah, well, the body's still sitting in Hubert's room after Felix and Hilda moved it there," Claude said, "we were...kinda hoping you'd have someone take care of it without incident."  
  
"I will have a few of the Knights take care of it," Seteth replied, "for now, we should call Hubert, Lady Byleth, and Prince Dimitri back to the monastery, and decide on a course of action."  
  
"I'm not certain that's the best idea," Claude argued, "Hubert, sure, but the Gaspard situation really does need to be handled as soon as physically possible."  
  
"I am...not certain Byleth would appreciate us deciding on anything this important without her," Rhea replied.  
  
So Rhea was starting to see Teach as her own person. That's good news.  
  
"The Time Council doesn't completely revolve around Teach," Claude countered. "She may have started it, but we've got enough sharp and reasonable minds there without her that we can come to a decision that she'd agree with."  
  
"More importantly, after dealing with both Bias and Gaspard, Teach and Dima need a break," he added. "They've done enough, for now."  
  
"They have," Seteth agreed, "so, only Hubert will be contacted. Lady Byleth will be informed of the decision after the fact."  
  
"Right. Hubert's got a couple pegasus knights in Garreg Mach, I'll get one of them to tell him that I'm calling for an emergency meeting and why," Claude said.  
  
"That sounds reasonable," Rhea said. "Will that be all, child? Should I speak to the young Hresvelg myself?"  
  
Rhea. Talking to Edelgard. Claude wasn't sure how good an idea that was, right now.  
  
"That's all I've got for now, Lady Rhea," Claude answered. "But, as for Edelgard...just...give her some time, okay?"

"However much she needs, I shall give her," Rhea told him. "After killing Nemesis, I was distraught in a way that is hard to put into words. I cannot imagine she fares much better."  
  
"Not really, no," Claude agreed. "Princess is strong, though. She'll come back from this, no problem."  
  
He left the Audience Chamber and looked for Felix. He was, as he expected, in the training grounds. Working on brawling, though. Weird.  
  
"What do you want, Claude?" Felix demanded.  
  
"I want you to go tell Princess that Rhea and Seteth have got the whole Thales mess handled, and that Rhea's willing to give her all the time she needs." Claude answered. "She should still be in Dorothea's room, I think."  
  
"Do it yourself," Felix said.  
  
"I'm busy," Claude lied.  
  
"Fine," Felix sighed, putting away the training gauntlets.  
  
Satisfied with a job well delegated, he went to find one of Hubert's pegasus knights and told her to go give her boss the good news. She was all too happy to comply.  
  
He then went to Hilda's room and knocked on the door.  
  
"Oh, hey, Khalid, what's up?" Hilda asked after opening the door.  
  
"You ever ridden a wyvern, Hilda?" Claude prompted.  
  
"Can't say I have," she admitted.  
  
"Do you want to?"  
  
"The wind is going to be murder on my hair, but you know what, sure."  
  
"Cool! Off to the stables with us, then."  
  
And so they went on a midnight wyvern ride. Claude was in his element.  
  
"I love it up here," he sighed.  
  
"Yeah, there's definitely some pretty good views to be had," Hilda responded.  
  
"Not just that," he told her, "up here, I'm free from responsibilities, prejudices, and consequences. The sky doesn't care where you're from, what you've done or need to do. So long as you can fly, it takes you into it's embrace."  
  
"So long as you can fly, huh..." she repeated. "You know, Manuela told me that I'd do really well as a Fortress Knight."  
  
He remembered that day. It was almost funny.  
  
"She sees right through your façade, Hilda."  
  
"Yeah, but annoying as that is, it's not the point right now."  
  
It wasn't?  
  
"I think I'd do much better on a wyvern," she said. "Moving around on the battlefield in _heavy armor?_ Ugh. I'd much rather be able to keep pace with you."  
  
Oh. Oh man.  
  
"What did I do to deserve you?" Claude asked.  
  
"A lot, Khalid," Hilda answered, "but the main thing is being honest with me. It makes me want to work, but only for you."  
  
Only for him, huh.  
  
"Again, what did I do to deserve you?"  
  
"Have an incredibly handsome face. Sothis just doesn't make them like you anymore," she sighed.  
  
"Heh! Good to know that the gods of Almyra have my back," he joked.  
  
"Mmm. Perhaps I should convert religions," Hilda teased. "Such fine craftsmanship is worthy of worship."  
  
In this kind of company, with only them, the stars, and wind, such jokes could be made without consequence.  
  
And maybe, just maybe, all of Fódlan will one day be as freeing as this sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly the hardest part of this chapter was fucking ending the damn thing in a way that didn't feel like shit.
> 
> Next chapter is going to be more lighthearted. And I think I've figured out how the plot's going to go from here on out. There's like...maybe 10 more chapters. 12 at most. And I'll remind you guys that like half of them are already written.


	20. The Blue Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth arrives back at the monastery and unwinds for a night, planning the next day and seeing Edelgard off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next were meant to be one chapter, but it got started getting so fucking long that I had to split it. This way, chapters 21 (where the rest of Byleth's day off takes place) and 22 (which follows Edelgard and co. to Aegir) occur at the same time, which is lovely and has a sense of order to it.

Byleth and Dimitri arrived back at the monastery just after nightfall.  
  
"Back home," Byleth sighed, once they were alone, "finally."  
  
"You...regard this place as home now, beloved?" Dimitri asked.  
  
"It's not a bad place to live," she explained. "I like the scenery and the people. What I don't and never liked is Rhea constantly asking me to go out and kill people. Thankfully, that shouldn't happen nearly as often this time."  
  
Speaking of Rhea...  
  
"We need to go report to her," Byleth said, "hopefully, she's in a talking mood."  
  
They went to the Audience Chamber, and she knocked on the door.  
  
A few moments passed.  
  
"Where...?" Byleth trailed off. "You know what, let's go check Seteth's office, he'll know where she is."  
  
They knocked on Seteth's door.  
  
"Ah, you're back," he greeted, "I suppose you're looking for Rhea. She should be in her room."  
  
Byleth felt her face twist into something surely unpleasant looking. She hated that room. More than perhaps anything else.  
  
But she needed to accept it. That would be _her_ bedroom, later. And the bed was _really_ nice.  
  
"Let's go up there, Dima."  
  
"Are...you sure, beloved? This can surely wait until morning..."  
  
"That would interfere with my plans of sleeping until noon tomorrow," she argued. "So we're doing it now."  
  
She walked up the stairs to the third floor, as Dimitri followed her.  
  
"Are you...truly intending on sleeping until noon tomorrow, beloved?"  
  
"Maybe. Tomorrow's Sunday, so I might as well," she said, "but I'm sure you can convince me not to."  
  
She knocked on Rhea's door.  
  
"I was just about to−" Rhea tiredly snapped, opening the door, "oh, Byleth, you've returned."  
  
"Is this...a bad time, Lady Rhea?" Dimitri asked.  
  
"I...would ask that you make this quick," Rhea said, barely stifling a yawn.  
  
"I can do quick," Byleth replied, "All-in-all, mission success. Bias is dead, the Gaspard rebellion isn't happening, and Lonato still lives."  
  
"But I also got your letter," she continued. "If Elly and Bertie said you could go with them, that's fine. Just...don't screw this up, please."  
  
"I will do my best, dear Byleth," Rhea replied, "but I ask that you take this opportunity to de-stress. You have done much, lately."  
  
"Yeah, I'm going to," Byleth told her. "Good night, Rhea."  
  
"Good night..." Rhea yawned, closing the door.  
  
That...was the first time she'd seen the woman yawn.  
  
"A strange sight..." Dimitri murmured.  
  
`She is not trying to keep the composed air about her so much,` Sothis mused.  
  
"She's just sleepy," Byleth said, "everyone gets sleepy. Now I want to go see Elly. Talk to her. Give her a hug and tell her I'm very proud. Let's go, Dima.  
  
She sprinted down the stairs, from the third floor to the first, and continued running to the dining hall. There, she spotted Edelgard, walking away from a table. She was wearing her hair in a ponytail that went off to her right.  
  
"Bylie!" Edelgard greeted with wide eyes, but a smile. "You're back already?"  
  
"Sure am," Byleth answered, "and I got Rhea's letter. I am so very proud of you, Elly," she said, embracing the girl. "I love the new look, by the way."  
  
Edelgard returned the hug. "Thank you, Bylie."  
  
"Beloved..." Dimitri panted, "you mustn't...run off like that...oh, hello, El."  
  
"Hello, Mitya," Edelgard greeted, "but...what do you mean by running off?"  
  
"We...may have been just outside Rhea's room not two minutes ago," Byleth admitted.  
  
"That...how?" Edelgard managed.  
  
"I'm very fast," Byleth answered.  
  
"I see..." Edelgard responded. "Well, tomorrow is Sunday, so Annette should have time to bake that cake she promised you."  
  
Right, the cake...  
  
"I'd completely forgotten about that..." Byleth said. "The last couple days have been crazy. Oh, but I made a new friend in Fhirdiad, Elly! Her name's Felicia, would you like to hear about her?"  
  
"I'm afraid I don't have time tonight," Edelgard answered, frowning, "there are some last-minute preparations to be made. But you can tell me all about her when we get back from Aegir."  
  
"I'm holding you to that," Byleth told her as she left.  
  
"Oi, Byleth, over here," Felix's voice called.

She turned to the sound. Felix, Dedue, and Dimitri were all sitting at a table, and there was a plate at an empty seat.  
  
"It's really nice to have a significant portion of the monastery calling me by my name," she said, sitting down, "it took me _ages_ to get you guys to do that last time."  
  
"Sure, but your new problem is that half of that portion calls you Bylie, which is a stupid name," Felix argued.  
  
"I like the stupid name now," Byleth huffed, "it's _cute_."  
  
"Then why don't you allow His Highness to use it?" Dedue countered.  
  
"Because I prefer 'beloved' from him," Byleth answered. "It makes me feel nice. Bylie is what my friends call me. Dima's more than that."  
  
"Oh..." Dimitri blushed. "I thought I..."  
  
"Dima, you could've always called me that, and it would've been fine," Byleth said, "I never would've gotten angry. 'Beloved' just hits me in a really special way, and I...didn't want you to call me anything else."  
  
Dimitri blushed harder. "Beloved..."  
  
"Goddess, you two are being sappy. Was it always this bad?" Felix asked.  
  
"The alternative was me unintentionally making eyes at him literally nonstop and him being a blushy mess," she informed him, "trust me, this is better. At least now we have a way of venting it."  
  
"There was one time halfway through the school year that you suggested locking the two of us in a room for six hours just to see what would happen," Dimitri said.  
  
"What would happen if we did that now?" Felix wondered.  
  
"Depends on what kind of mood I'm in and what else is in the room," Byleth answered.  
  
"The room would presumably be empty," Dedue provided.  
  
"Then we'd probably just talk," Byleth said, "again, depends on what kind of mood I'm in."  
  
"Probably?" Felix repeated.  
  
_"Probably,"_ she answered, giving Dimitri a teasing look.  
  
"Beloved..." Dimitri murmured, blushing.  
  
"Why do you turn into Hilda when you don't have anything to do?" Felix asked, mildly disgusted.  
  
"Because Hilda's lazy flirtatious energy is something I've always aspired to," Byleth deadpanned, "girlie knows how to have fun."  
  
"...No," Dedue countered, in disbelief.  
  
"Alright, so the actual answer is that Hilda basically kidnapped me three Sundays in a row for shopping trips, early on," Byleth explained, "and I actually enjoyed them. It's _very_ easy to imprint other people's personalities onto your own when you don't socialize at all for 20 years. That's why I talk like Dottie."  
  
"I guess we should be glad you're not more like Hubert, then," Felix muttered.  
  
"Ew, no," Byleth responded, "I respected him as someone who got things done, and as someone who had Elly's back, but he wasn't a friend. Not back then."  
  
"Alright, I'm done eavesdropping, I'm joining the conversation properly now," Claude cut in, sitting down with a plate of his own.  
  
"Thank you for reminding me to take you shopping, Bylie," Hilda said, "you have like, three outfits, and one of them is the Bishop robes you never actually wear."  
  
"I'm literally wearing them right now," Byleth pointed out.  
  
"Wait, you _are_ ," Hilda realized, looking at her. "Bylie, you _need_ to get those resized, they don't flatter your figure at _all_."  
  
"I don't believe they're supposed to..." Dimitri offered.  
  
"No, I'll admit, these things just don't fit right," Byleth said, pulling at the fabric, "but that's why I don't wear them unless I have to. Unfortunately, this trip was one where I had to, and I haven't had time to change."  
  
"Bylie, are you free to go shopping tomorrow?" Hilda asked.  
  
"I suppose I am. Can I bring Dottie along?" Byleth replied.  
  
"Of course!" Hilda answered. "Her input will be _extremely_ useful."  
  
"So let's make this clear," Felix cut in, "the girlfriends of the next King, Emperor, and Archduke are all galpalling with each other."  
  
"That would certainly seem to be the case," Dedue responded.  
  
"We can and _will_ absorb Flayn into the galpal spiral," Byleth declared.  
  
"Why Flayn?" Dimitri asked.  
  
"Because Flayn needs friends," Byleth answered, "and she's very keen on getting in on trends. She's _perfect_."

"She'll be the little sister of the group!" Hilda cheered. "I was _hoping_ Lysithea would take that role, but she's too serious."  
  
"You get it, Hilda," Byleth agreed, pointing at Hilda with her fork as she moved her empty plate to the side.  
  
"Wait, you've been talking non-stop, when the hell did you−" Felix spluttered.  
  
"Felix, friend, let me reiterate," Byleth told him, "I am friends with _Dorothea and Hilda_. You spend enough mealtimes with those two and you eventually figure out how to hold a conversation and eat at the same time."  
  
"There's also the Raphael and Caspar method," Claude pointed out, "eat everything on the plate in fifteen seconds so you don't have to worry about that."  
  
"Yeah, but that's not very ladylike," Hilda countered.  
  
Dimitri got an uncertain look on his face.  
  
"Is...something wrong, Your Highness?" Dedue asked.  
  
"He's probably just remembering that I can outpace Caspar if I try," Byleth said. "I may consider Dorothea and Hilda two of my best friends, but don't forget, I also grew up as a mercenary. I can eat _really_ fast if I have to."  
  
"Truly, a multi-faceted woman," Claude chuckled. "Tell me, who are you channeling when you actually have important things to do?"  
  
"Seteth, actually," Byleth answered. "There are times where I combine that with Elly's take-charge attitude, though."  
  
"Goddess, I can see it," Felix muttered. "I'm going to my room. See ya."  
  
"Okay, Hilda, Dima, we need to review the plan for tomorrow," Byleth said, "I get up, do my morning stuff, see Elly off, then me, Hilda, and Dottie go shopping at...does 10 sound good?"  
  
"Yeah, ten's good," Hilda answered.  
  
"Okay. After that, I come back, change into one of my new outfits, and me and Dima go into town on a date at...let's say 5."  
  
"Sounds reasonable," Dimitri replied.  
  
"After that, we come back, eat the lovely confection Annette has made us for dessert, and then it's cuddle time in my room."  
  
"Even your days off are perfectly planned, huh," Claude said. "Usually, I just mess around and see where that goes."  
  
"That's usually my plan, too," Byleth admitted, "but I've got five different things I want to do tomorrow, so I have to actually plan things out."  
  
"Your Highness, if you and the Professor are going into town, I would ask to accompany you," Dedue said.  
  
"Dedue, that's called third wheeling," Hilda pointed out. "I know you mean well, but you can't just _do_ that."  
  
"Besides, this is _Teach and Dima_ ," Claude added, "no one who knows what they're up against is going to try anything, and the ones who don't never stood a chance anyway."  
  
"We'll be fine, Dedue," Dimitri assured his vassal.  
  
"Very well," Dedue said, "but please, stay safe, both of you."  
  
"We will," Byleth replied. "I'm going to bed. Big day tomorrow, as we just discussed."  
  
"Looking forward to it!" Hilda cheered.  
  
"Good night, beloved," Dimitri said.  
  
"Good night, Dima," she responded.  
  
She went to her room, changed out of her Bishop robes and into a nightshirt, and went to sleep. Soon after, she was in the foggy scenery of a blank dreamscape.  
  
"I am feeling...somewhat neglected," Sothis said, "so it is teatime once more."  
  
"Fine, Sothy," Byleth responded, conjuring the required things.  
  
"You know I shall give my opinion on your outfit choices as well, tomorrow," Sothis told her after they took their seats.  
  
"As if I could ever stop you," Byleth muttered.  
  
"You sound dissatisfied!" Sothis whined. "You know my heart is as yours. Do you not trust my counsel?"  
  
"First off, Sothy," Byleth began, "just because your Crest Stone serves as my actual heart doesn't mean that our metaphysical hearts, our souls, are the same. I've literally spent the past week telling Rhea that."  
  
"I know, but it's such a nice turn of phrase," Sothis grumbled.  
  
"Second off, have you _seen_ your outfit? If _that's_ your opinion on what kind of clothes people should wear, I want no part of it," Byleth snapped.

"I have seen enough people through your eyes to know what is proper now, child!" Sothis retorted. "But I'll have you know that these divine raiments were the peak of fashion in the period preceding the Great War!"  
  
"Yeah, but that was, what, 3600 years ago?" Byleth snapped back. "Besides, since when do you remember stuff like that, anyway?"  
  
And why did _she_ remember how long ago it was? It certainly wasn't the first time she'd gotten a memory meant for Sothis, but still. Odd.  
  
Suddenly, they heard the sound of a door opening.  
  
"Um...hello?" Dimitri's voice greeted. "Beloved? Sothis? Are you there?"  
  
"Over here, Dima!" Byleth yelled.  
  
"Oh, that way," Dimitri's still-disembodied voice said.  
  
After a moment, Dimitri's physical form came into sight. "Hello!"  
  
"I am surprised and impressed that you managed to find your way to us on your own so quickly," Sothis said, conjuring another chair.  
  
"It's not that different from the telepathy, when I don't know where you are precisely," Dimitri explained as he took his seat, "it's sort of like...sending out a wave of magic in all directions, searching for your presence with just my mind."  
  
"Yeah, it's the same connection, you're just tapping into it differently," Byleth responded, nodding. "But you didn't answer my question, Sothy. When did you start remembering stuff again?"  
  
"As your soul grows more prominent, I regain my memories," Sothis explained. "We could go down to the Holy Tomb and I would be able to correctly name each and every Crest Stone's owner. Those of the Relics, however, died after me, so those would be a bit harder."  
  
"In that case, Sothis, how old are you? Do you remember?" Dimitri asked.  
  
Sothis' face scrunched up in thought. "I am...two million years old, at least. I lost count at some point, and as Jeralt says, by the time one is forgetting their own age, they are long past the point of caring."  
  
"I'm not sure Papa is the best source of advice for this sort of thing," Byleth grumbled. "I really should ask Rhea how old he is. When his birthday is. I don't know either of those things, and that's a problem."  
  
"You didn't ask her already, beloved?" Dimitri asked.  
  
"It's...never been a priority," Byleth responded. "It's one of those things where I constantly tell myself 'next time I talk to Rhea, I'll ask her' and then by the time I actually talk to her, I've always forgotten."  
  
"Truly frustrating," Sothis said.  
  
"At any rate, beloved," Dimitri began, "how exactly are you expecting the plan for tomorrow to work? It's always good to have a schedule, of course, but it requires a few coincidences to line up."  
  
"Not really," Byleth said, "Dorothea will be seeing Elly off with me. She better be, at least. If she doesn't, I'm going to go shout at her in Elly's place for half an hour unless she has a damn good reason. If that puts us behind schedule for the shopping trip, so be it. Then, you will inform Annette of my favorite kind of cake."  
  
"Lemon poundcakes, of course," Dimitri recalled. "You have extremely close second-favorites in other seasons, when certain ingredients are available, but that is generally your favorite. You prefer cinnamon buns in winter, when lemons are out of season."  
  
"Well done!" Sothis applauded, clapping.  
  
"I sensed I was being tested," Dimitri replied. "I do hope my performance warrants a passing grade."  
  
"It does, yes," Byleth said. "I'm most impressed by the cinnamon bun part. Really didn't expect you to remember that."  
  
"Well...after Sir Jeralt died," Dimitri murmured solemnly, "Dedue and Mercedes went out of their way to learn how to make them for you. That...makes it hard to forget."  
  
"...oh..." Byleth mumbled.  
  
She...they really did that for her? She wondered why cinnamon buns were suddenly one of Ashe's favorites. Now she knew.  
  
"How truly kind of them," Sothis said.  
  
"Well," Byleth started, eager to change the subject, "hopefully, they...learn for a reason that's...less sad, this time."  
  
Hm. There's blatantly obvious attempts to change the subject, and then there's attempts that go so badly that they fail to change the subject at all.

"I wonder what kind of cake Sir Jeralt likes," Dimitri said.  
  
Byleth tried to recall, and failed. "I'm...not certain I've ever seen him eat cake. Or sweets in general. He's not on a Hubert/Felix level of hating sweets, I know that much, but...it's weird."  
  
"It could simply be that living as a mercenary for 20 years dulled his sweet tooth," Sothis offered. "A pity, that, but certainly possible."  
  
"I guess. I'll have to ask him at some point," Byleth said. "Anyway, it's about time for me to get up. I need a bath, I am _not_ meeting Elly smelling like horse."  
  
"That did not stop you last night," Sothis pointed out.  
  
"I was tired and hungry last night, leave me alone," Byleth muttered as she woke up.  
  
She looked outside. Roughly half an hour before dawn. That gave her enough time in the bath. She didn't have any perfumes yet, (though Hilda and Dorothea would fix that today), so she _had_ to be thorough.  
  
She looked at the Bishop robes still on the floor, and wrinkled her nose. They smelled so strongly of horse that one washing might not be enough.  
  
`Perhaps 'resizing' will need to be changed to 'replacing',` Sothis said.  
  
Perhaps. But she suspected Seteth gave her this specific set out of spite, knowing it would fit her poorly. She put them in a basket.  
  
It didn't matter, though. Not today. She always favored her Professor uniform on outings like today's shopping trip.  
  
She gathered her clothes and a towel (she disliked the bathhouse changing rooms, but the Hubert incident a few weeks ago warned her off doing _that_ ever again) and went off to the bathhouse.  
  
Strangely, she found Edelgard there.  
  
"Oh, Bylie," the girl greeted, "um...well, you know why I try to bathe alone."  
  
"Of course," Byleth responded. "Would you...like me to leave, Elly? I can come back in a few minutes."  
  
"No, it's fine, just...try not to...look at me too much," Edelgard answered. "Though, since we have this time, would you like to tell me about...oh, what was her name..."  
  
"Felicia?" Byleth provided, getting into the water.  
  
"Yes! Her!"  
  
"So the first thing to know about her is that she's a maid at Castle Fhirdiad," Byleth began, "good at most aspects of her job, but incredibly clumsy. Her coworkers, Jakob and her sister Flora, had written her off as somewhat useless because of this."  
  
"How cruel," Edelgard said, "perhaps Jakob is excusable, but Flora is her sister! She should be more supportive."  
  
"I know! They didn't want to work around her," Byleth pouted. "I kinda...told Flora and Jakob off for this. Felly's a good cook, so once you get everything she needs over to where she's cooking, she's fine! But they didn't...hmph. I just hope they're treating and working with her better, now."  
  
"Right," Edelgard responded, "I noticed the nickname, by the way. Cute."  
  
"She likes it, too," Byleth said, "I decided almost as soon as I met her that I wanted her as my personal maid when I become Queen. But, well..."  
  
"But what?" Edelgard prompted.  
  
"Well, Felicia and Flora are actually from a clan of highly skilled ice mages in Sreng," Byleth continued, "when I...found out about this...well, I can't just keep someone from their home, so they can stay in my service. That's wrong."  
  
"It's almost like Petra's situation," Edelgard mused.  
  
"Yeah, but...unlike Petra, Felicia doesn't _want_ to go back to Sreng," Byleth explained, "she's made something of a home for herself in Fhirdiad. She has good friends, she's even met a man she really likes. He's a good one, too. Kind and dutiful."  
  
"Knowing you, you probably threatened him for Felicia's sake once you met him," Edelgard said, "but...I wonder...maybe Felicia is holding Flora back from making the choice to go back to Sreng?"  
  
"I...I'd never thought of that, Elly," Byleth sighed, "damn, that's completely possible. But yeah, I told Silas I'd snap his neck if he hurt Felly."  
  
"Of course you did," Edelgard muttered fondly. "She sounds really nice, but I have to get going, Bylie. We're departing in an hour."  
  
"See ya, Elly," Byleth said.

An hour. She had more time than she thought, then. Which was good, because she'd been simply soaking for the entirety of the conversation.  
  
Byleth washed her body in quick time, then moved onto her hair. She reached for her shampoo, and grasped onto nothing but thin air.  
  
She looked up and saw Dorothea, holding her shampoo bottle. "This is...really cheap stuff, Bylie. Do you really use this?"  
  
"I haven't had the time to buy the actually good stuff," Byleth sighed, "you know, I used to be satisfied with that bottle. You and Hilda really spoiled me, that first go around."  
  
"Speaking of Hilda, she told me about the shopping trip," Dorothea informed her.  
  
"By the time we're done with you, Dima won't be able to handle you," she said with a wink, before holding out a different bottle. "And that begins with me letting you borrow my shampoo."  
  
"Thanks, Dottie," Byleth said, taking the offered bottle. "Not to encroach on your generosity, but is there any chance you might let me borrow some perfume, as well? I...don't have any."  
  
"How do you _not_ have any perfume, Bylie?" Hilda asked, coming into the room. "I know mercenaries aren't as fussed about their appearance as nobles and such are, but you're still a young woman."  
  
"Do you really think the Ashen Demon gave a damn about beauty products?" Byleth replied.  
  
"I guess that makes sense," Dorothea sighed, "but it's probably not healthy to talk about yourself like that."  
  
"The Byleth Eisner of...a month ago, I guess, cared about just three things, Dottie," Byleth argued, "Papa, food, and the next job. Nothing else. She had no emotions. The me from back then and the me I am now share no similarities aside from our name, physical form, and weapon preferences."  
  
"And while I appreciate your concern, Dottie," she continued, "it's not like this was born from trauma, like Jerri. I just _literally_ didn't have a soul back then."  
  
"My soul was shaped by that first year, with all of you," Byleth finished. "That's why it's so hard for me to...put my past quarrels with Rhea aside."  
  
That's why. That was the problem. Rhea never gave her a reason to trust her, back then.  
  
But now she's giving her those reasons. Byleth needed to accept them. If she couldn't, then this was going to be a lot harder than it needed to be.  
  
`To accept the unacceptable,` Sothis mused. `Your prince charming used that turn of phrase on a few occasions. This is one thing you cannot simply cut away.`  
  
"Well, Lady Rhea's trying to be better, now," Hilda said. "But anyway, you two need to hurry up if you're going to see Edie off!"  
  
"Right!" Byleth shouted. She washed her hair in about five minutes, passing the shampoo bottle back to Dorothea when she was done.  
  
She got out of the water, toweled off, got dressed in the changing room, and ran into Dimitri in the entrance hall.  
  
"Beloved!" Dimitri greets.  
  
"You still smell like horse, Dima," she informed him.  
  
"I shall amend that before our date, beloved," he assured her.  
  
"Dear Byleth," Rhea greeted, coming from the reception hall, "Prince Dimitri, as well. Are you here to see us off?"  
  
"We are, yes," Dimitri answered.  
  
"We are not departing for another 20 minutes," Rhea told them, "perhaps you should eat a meal, in that time."  
  
"Actually, Rhea, there's...something I need to talk to you about," Byleth said.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Well...it occured to me last night that there are a few things I still don't know about Papa," Byleth began. "His age, his birthday, stuff like that."  
  
"Sir Jeralt is 309 years old," Rhea said, "and his date of birth is the sixth day of the Guardian Moon."  
  
"Just a few days before yours, then," Dimitri observed.  
  
And just eleven days after he died.  
  
"Indeed," Rhea said.  
  
"Rhea, I've...come to a conclusion," Byleth murmured. "The events of that first timeline...shaped who I am, going forward."  
  
"Of course," Rhea responded.  
  
"But...you're...trying, now. To be better. You're giving me reasons to trust you," Byleth continued, "and I think it's time I learn to accept them."  
  
"Child..." Rhea murmured.

"The wounds...won't go away in an instant, but...you're not someone I can allow myself to cut away," she finished.  
  
"Dear Byleth..." Rhea breathed. "Thank you. For...allowing me the chance to do better."  
  
"Oh, you're all here," Edelgard said, Ferdinand following behind her.  
  
"Not all of us," Byleth corrected, "Dottie must still be in the bath, and Bertie...is..."  
  
Where _was_ Hubert? Ferdinand was assuming Hubert's typical post at Edelgard's side.  
  
"Hubert has been in Hrym for the past day," Ferdinand explained, "he will be meeting us at Myrrdin."  
  
"Oh, okay," Byleth said.  
  
"Okay, good, I'm not late," Dorothea said.  
  
"We'll be leaving soon," Ferdinand said. "It warms my heart to see so many here to see Her Highness off."  
  
"Stay safe, Edie," Dorothea murmured.  
  
"I will, Thea," Edelgard responded.  
  
"Do try to keep yourself calm, El," Dimitri warned, "though I understand your anger. If I had to face Kleiman right now..."  
  
"Mitya..." Edelgard murmured.  
  
Ferdinand looked a touch confused, probably by the Kleiman comment.  
  
"Right. Ludwig is Prime Minister, Elly," Byleth added. "He's important, as much as we wish he wasn't. That goes for you too, Rhea."  
  
"Of course," Edelgard and Rhea said at the same time.  
  
Byleth gave a little impressed exhale as Edelgard blushed and Rhea looked strangely proud of herself.  
  
"Well," Edelgard started, still blushing, "I will do my best to heed your advice, Bylie, Mitya."  
  
"If we are done here," Rhea said, "then let us depart."  
  
As they left, Dorothea gave Dimitri an odd smirk.  
  
"You aren't going to be able to handle Bylie tonight, Dima," she told him. "Not after me and Hilda are done with her. Let's go eat breakfast, and then when Hilda shows up, the fun can start."  
  
"With all due respect, Dorothea, I think you're underestimating me," Dimitri responded, "Sylvain can tell you how well that went for him."  
  
"Ah, but that would require me to willingly talk to Sylvain," Dorothea pointed out, "I doubt he would try anything, what with me dating Edie, but...still."  
  
"Sylvain's a better man than you think, Dottie," Byleth argued, "I've considered recruiting him to the Council, but...the reason I decided against it isn't that we can't trust him, but because I don't know what the truth of Relics will do to him."  
  
"I agree," Dimitri said. "If that isn't told to him the right way, he could..."  
  
"Let's stop talking about this in the open," Dorothea cut in, walking to the Dining Hall. "Besides, today's for brighter things."  
  
Quite right. Here in these cherished halls, she'd give herself one peaceful day.  
  
Just one.  
  
That was all she needed, for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you guys noticed something's changed about this fic. That's right, we have an actual set number of chapters now! By the time this is done, we'll have 31-34 chapters, depending on if any of the 3 chapters I'm worried about getting too long do so, and how many. I've got an actual outline I'm following for plot, now. It's gonna be great.

**Author's Note:**

> holy shit making food for yourself is fun


End file.
